Leader FF version
by Mannah Pierce
Summary: Follow Sasuke & Naruto's extended family. Part of the space saga that includes In the cold of space, Tales in Tarrasade, Iteration & Real. With Uchiha expanding, will opposition come from outside or within? M/M. Naru/Sasu/Naru, Neji/Shika & many others. Re-posting: story now conforms to site requirements. Apologies to readers whose reviews were deleted - my appreciation remains.
1. Deathbed

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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Welcome to the latest, and final, story in the space saga that began with _In the cold of space you find the heat of suns_. If you are a new reader, I strongly recommend that you go to the start and read from there. There are 228 chapters before this one, so rather a lot has happened and you may find yourself a little lost.

There is some reference data for the story (e.g. the children's names) in my profile.

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Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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**Story warning: There are male-male relationships in this story.**

**_This is a re-post - the intimate scenes have have removed. If you are over 18, the complete version is on another site._  
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**Chapter warning: I draw your attention to the title.**

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**Leader**

**Part 1: The pod**

**1: Deathbed**

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Sasuke's attention wandered again; away from the report on his desk to the portrait of Naruto and the children.

He sighed. He had chosen that particular picture because of the intensity of Haru's gaze; a touch of Shikamaru in a face that could be, despite the colour of the eyes, a little too like his own.

Now it reminded him of Haru standing on the other side of his desk trying to be formal and grown up while he blinked back tears.

Sasuke was certain that he had made the correct decision; a deathbed was no place for a child of eleven.

He would make himself tea and then tackle another report.

Kettle on, he studied the array of plaques on the wall; one for each of the two hundred and thirty-one crews who had made the transition from affiliated to allied.

Seven were missing; they had been placed in a position of honour in the Hall above the names of those who had died.

Losing only seven ships from well over two hundred was remarkable; a testament to the quality of the crews and the support Uchiha gave them. Nevertheless, it was seven too many.

All the current allied crews were on his wall. Each plaque started plain. Many still were, but some had acquired one or more of the inlaid enamelled panels that indicated promotion.

He touched one of the most colourful, the Ninken's, and smiled. If there was ever a crew that embodied what made New Uchiha different it was the Ninken.

Inviting them to Tarrasade had definitely been the right thing to do; he was looking forward to meeting them in person.

The kettle boiled. He filled the pot and carried the tray back to his desk. On the way his gaze lingered on the smoothed notch at its edge. It reminded him of how difficult it was to guess what was happening in Haru's head; how easy it was to get it horribly wrong.

He drank his tea and read another report. Again, his attention kept wandering. Now Naruto's eyes, as well as Haru's, were looking at him.

Time to admit he was no longer sure; he activated the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. Naruto, if you could spare a few minutes I would appreciate it. I am in my office."

There was hardly a pause; Sasuke could imagine Naruto moving towards the intercom as soon as it clicked.

_"This is Naruto. On my way."_

Naruto was through the door before Sasuke had poured them both a cup of tea. He settled into one of the chairs, accepted the cup from Sasuke and waited.

"Has Shikamaru left yet?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Naruto answered. "Soon."

"He is very young," Sasuke complained.

"Yes," Naruto acknowledged. "How old would be old enough?"

Sasuke felt himself flush slightly. Was his decision influenced solely by Haru's age or, as Naruto was suggesting, had he other reasons?

Part of him still regretted allowing Klennethon Darrent into Haru's life. Haru had changed. He was more intense, more willing to argue and less anxious about disappointing people.

Less worried about behaving in a way that would make his Papa proud.

More different; 'Klenn-sensei' had pushed him to explore the limits of his abilities.

Sasuke remembered Klennethon Darrent sitting where Naruto was now, arguing that Haru would never be the typed-genius he could have been because Sasuke did not want it. That Sasuke was holding one of his children back, limiting him so that he fit into some pre-determined shape.

It had reminded Sasuke of what his father had done to Itachi and the horror of that thought had pushed him into agreeing that Haru could see Klennethon Darrent.

Looking back, Sasuke realised that Klennethon Darrent had probably planned it that way.

"Sasuke?" Naruto prompted.

"What do you think?" Sasuke asked. He should have asked before but he had not wanted to hear Naruto's answer.

"You are trying to protect Haru and I understand that," Naruto began. "But he wouldn't have asked unless it was important to him and I think asking shows that he is old enough." He looked directly into Sasuke's eyes. "I think that not going could cause more damage than going."

Sasuke stood up. "Will you take him?"

Naruto's eyes communicated his approval. "Of course. You'll tell Haru yourself?"

"I'll go now. Can you sort out the escort?"

The big litter were in the gym performing paired kata. Sasuke was surprised anew at how much the kits and Ryuu had shot up; Ryuu was already a hand's length taller than Hikaru.

Most shockingly, Kazuki and Haru were the same height. Sasuke remembered the day they were born, when Haru had been the largest and Kazuki so worryingly small.

His hybrid sons had started their growth spurt two standards sooner than would be usual for purebred boys; Sasuke's stomach churned at the thought of the seven of them hurtling into adolescence.

He took up a position that indicated that he wished to interrupt the session and Terai, who was assisting Kakashi, sounded the bell that signalled a pause.

Kakashi turned to him and bowed. "Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke bowed back. "Kakashi-sensei. I apologise for the interruption. I require Haru."

Haru waited for Kakashi's signal before hurrying to Sasuke, which was good.

He bowed. "Papa."

"Haru-chan. I have thought more about your request and decided that you can go. You will need to be quick. Get showered and dressed. Your To-chan will be waiting for you in the lobby."

Haru bowed and hurried away. Sasuke went back into the playroom to have a word with Iruka or Kiba. It turned out that it was Kiba, who was covering for Naruto.

Sasuke thanked him and then told him about Haru. Kiba did not comment and Sasuke could not tell if he approved or not. He might have asked but was distracted by a blond missile.

"Papa! Papa! Look at my painting."

One of the sweetest things about his youngest was that Tsuneo was always so pleased to see him. To Tsu-chan he was just Papa; not the person who told him off and certainly not Uchiha-sama. He crouched down to admire Tsuneo's coloured blobs and listen to his description of what they represented. At the end Sasuke gave him a hug and was rewarded by a kiss before realising that Kiba was still standing there.

"I am sure you will want to see them off, Sasuke-sama."

Which was as close as Kiba would ever get to telling him what to do.

The lobby was full. Shikamaru, Neji, Terai, Hamaki and Fu had delayed their departure and had been joined by Gai, Asuma and Naruto.

Naruto was in uniform but without his tags, which felt a little odd.

"Haru-chan will be a few minutes," Sasuke explained. "He was in the gym."

"Here he comes," Naruto observed.

It was some time before Haru came into view. Sasuke was pleased at his choice of clothes; a fresh top and pants, calf-high boots and his formal jacket.

He was fastening his jacket as he jogged towards them and, as he came closer, Sasuke could see that his hair was still damp.

Sasuke rested a hand on his shoulder. "Your To-chan can bring you back at any time. That is why Gai-san and Asuma-san are accompanying you."

"Thank you Gai-san, Asuma-san," Haru acknowledged. "I will be fine, Papa. Thank you for allowing me to go."

"You are welcome, Haru-chan," Sasuke replied. He turned and hugged Naruto. "Later," he whispered.

"Later," Naruto agreed.

Then they were gone and he was alone. Sasuke sighed and started walking towards his office and his queue of unread reports.

* * *

Haru stuck close to To-chan as they left the household.

He had been surprised that Papa had reconsidered. He knew that neither To-chan nor Shi-chan would have questioned the decision, so it had to be Papa having second thoughts.

Ran had been right. He had told Haru to state his case but not to argue. It had been hard to stand there and say nothing when Papa said no but Haru had done it.

If he had argued Papa would have been too cross to change his mind in time.

They went up the Tube to Prime. Haru hadn't been there before; since Klenn-sensei had been too tired to visit they had met via a video link.

He had expected the lobbies and corridors to be expensive and modern, like Klenn-sensei's Arts Complex or the new public section of the Uchiha compound. Instead the floors and walls were weird, like they were pretending to be old when they weren't.

Haru wasn't surprised to see security personnel everywhere; he knew that Prime was completely secure like Level 1. They were dressed in dark crimson with different coloured piping to denote their ranks, which was very smart but a bit much.

He much preferred the mesh and leather of Uchiha.

"Are there always this many?" To-chan queried.

Shi-chan smiled. "No. They want to see you, Na-chan."

"And Haru," Asuma-san grumbled. "How far is it?"

"Only a few more minutes," Fu-san assured him.

Shi-chan was right; the further they went the more security personnel appeared. Luckily they reached Klenn-sensei's door before To-chan's protective instincts went into overdrive and he growled at them or, worse, insisted on picking Haru up.

Once they were through the outer door into Klenn-sensei's apartment everything was different. Everywhere Haru looked was beautiful: the doors, the floor, the walls, even the ceiling.

The inner door was opened by a smartly dressed woman. Haru knew who she was; Klenn-sensei occasionally mentioned her. He bowed.

"Miriam-san."

She managed a smile for him, even though her eyes looked sad. "Haru-chan. Citizen Darrent will be very pleased to see you.

They all went into a lobby where they swapped their boots for slippers and Haru, Shi-chan and Neji-san shed their jackets. Next came a room with chairs and low tables.

Miriam-san started telling Asuma-san about the facilities and Haru realised that this room was for guests' escorts. Only he, Shi-chan, To-chan and Neji-san carried on into what Miriam-san referred to as the inner waiting room.

It was much fancier than the room for the escorts. There were pictures on the walls and on a low table there was a statue of two naked men entwined together. Haru looked closer. He was almost sure it was Papa and To-chan.

He glanced towards To-chan and decided not to mention it.

Miriam-san left and Garner-san came in. He looked even sadder than Miriam-san. He faced To-chan and bowed.

"Thank you for bringing Haru-chan."

"Haru asked and Sasuke gave his permission," To-chan replied. "Neji-san and I will wait here."

Neji-san looked at him. "We will?"

"We will," To-chan told him. He came across to Haru and went down on one knee so that their eyes were level. "Sweetie, it might be hard. If you need a time-out, that's fine. If you want to go home, that's fine too."

Haru nodded and then To-chan hugged him.

Then Garner-san took him and Shi-chan into a third room. This time Haru did not notice much other than that it was all very beautiful.

He was going to see Klenn-sensei, which was great, but Klenn-sensei was dying, which wasn't.

"I will go and warn him you are coming," Garner-san said and left.

Haru was suddenly aware that Shi-chan was too quiet; he had said nothing since they had entered the apartment. Haru studied him. He was very pale with dark circles under his eyes.

Before Haru could decide what to say or to do, Garner-san was back.

Klenn-sensei was in a huge bed with a post at each corner, supporting a lid, or roof, or canopy; Haru wasn't sure what to call it. The head end was raised like a treatment bed in the infirmary, so Klenn-sensei looked like he was sitting on a couch with a footrest.

Across Klenn-sensei and the bed was the most beautiful cover Haru had ever seen. He couldn't help thinking that Haku-san would shave off all his hair to own it.

"Haru-chan, Shika," Klenn-sensei acknowledged.

Haru relaxed. Klenn-sensei sounded the same. He didn't even look that different than he had over the video link; over the last standard Haru had got used to him looking older and older.

"Haru-chan, come sit next to me," Klenn-sensei invited, patting the bed beside him.

Haru decided to treat the bed like a couch. He took off his slippers and sat next to Klenn-sensei on top of the cover with his feet up.

Klenn-sensei chuckled, which was nice. He turned to Shi-chan and gestured to the other side of the bed. "Shika?"

Shi-chan hesitated, but sat in the same position as Haru on Klenn-sensei's other side.

Haru looked around the room. On the wall to the right was a fabulous tapestry. To the left there was a picture, Haru thought it was a painting, of a beautiful spacer with golden hair and deep blue eyes.

And opposite the bed, where Klenn-sensei would see it most often, was a drawing of Shi-chan.

"Do you know what is special about this bed, Haru-chan?" Klenn-sensei asked.

Haru looked about for clues and spotted the projectors and speakers concealed in the canopy. "It's a simulator," he replied.

"Indeed it is, Haru-chan," Klenn-sensei replied.

Then Klenn-sensei started showing him stuff and Haru realised that these were the things Klenn-sensei had chosen to show him before he died.

Some of them were things that Klenn-sensei enjoyed, like a scent poem and a touch sculpture, and some of them were things he thought Haru would enjoy, like an amazing four-dimensional fractal, and some of them were puzzles or oddities that the three of them could enjoy discussing.

It was fun.

Then, suddenly, Klenn-sensei ran out of energy. He seemed to sink back into the pillows.

"You took a stim," Shi-chan accused.

Klenn-sensei forced a smile. "It was worth it." His hand trembled as he deactivated the simulator.

Haru realised that it was now or never. "I have a present for you." He held up the leather wallet that Shi-chan thought held a tablet but actually contained the pocket array Klenn-sensei had given him. "I want to show you something. You will have to wear my goggles and earpieces, Klenn-sensei."

Klenn-sensei perked up a little. "A gift? How exciting. Shika, could you ask Garner or Miriam for some tea?"

It was risky but Haru had talked it through with Ran, Kazuki and Sai. The other three had agreed that Klenn-sensei deserved to know about Sai and that they could trust him.

As Shi-chan walked away, Haru activated the interface while Klenn-sensei put in the earpieces and donned the goggles.

Haru watched the parts of Klenn-sensei's face he could see. He saw some colour come into his cheeks and his lips quirk into a smile. Looking closely, Haru could see him subvocalising.

Shi-chan was coming back with the tea. Haru shook Klenn-sensei's arm to warn him.

Klenn-sensei reluctantly removed the goggles and earpieces while Haru put the array back in its satchel.

"Thank you, Haru-chan," he whispered. "It is a wonderful gift."

The present or the tea seemed to give Klenn-sensei another burst of energy but Haru suspected it would not last long. Klenn-sensei looked at him with serious eyes.

"This will be our last time, Haru-chan."

Haru nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"I will be leaving you many things. A few you will receive soon but others will be delivered over the standards. Remember Garner. If you find yourself in a situation when you need help your family cannot supply, as unlikely as that seems, go to him." He squeezed Haru's arm. "I would ask you to look after Shika and the rest of your family but I know you will always do that. Thank you for being a good friend and allowing me to be your sensei.

"Now it is time for us to say goodbye and for you to go."

Haru allowed the tears to flow. "Thank you for everything, Klenn-sensei. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Haru-chan."

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Shikamaru watched Haru walk away. He would go to Na-chan, who would comfort him and take him back to where he belonged.

Part of Shikamaru wanted to leave with them. Another wished that Neji would come to the doorway and insist on chaperoning him now that Haru had gone.

Neither happened; he did not leave nor did Neji appear. Instead he was with Klenn on a bed.

"How long ago were we last alone?" Klenn asked.

Shikamaru remembered that night in the garden and flushed. "Twelve standards; before Haru was conceived."

Klenn reached up and touched his face. "I have no regrets. This way I had a friend."

Shikamaru did not know what to say. He was not built for times like this. Inside his emotions churned, dragging his thoughts this way and that. New lines of reasoning began with every surge or drift; opened then divided and multiplied. His mind was filled with might-have-beens and still-could-bes.

"Try to stay with me, Shika."

He made a huge effort to focus on the present rather than the lost opportunities of the past or the myriad of possible futures.

"Haru's visit was fun," Klenn suggested.

It helped. Thinking about Haru or Sumiko always brought him back to reality. "Yes. Sasuke said no at first. I don't know why he changed his mind."

"Because, despite his many limitations, Sasuke Uchiha loves his children and tries to do what is best for them."

Shikamaru did not want to talk about Sasuke because they would end up arguing.

"I confess I expected the Hyuga to be in the corner," Klenn commented.

"His name is Neji," Shikamaru complained. "Na-chan suggested they stay in the inner waiting room."

"Naruto," Klenn acknowledged. "One of the few people I have known who has consistently exceeded my expectations. A truly remarkable and exceptional individual." He reached out and Shikamaru found himself leaning towards his touch. "Like you, Shika. Let me hold you. Just this once. You need it."

Shikamaru shifted position slowly, clumsily, until he ended up lying against Klenn with his head on his shoulder. The bedcover was between them, making what would have been awkward into something acceptable and comforting. Klenn's arm was around him.

It felt nice; like when Na-chan held him but different because it was Klenn.

They stayed like that in silence for some time; Shikamaru wondered if Klenn had fallen asleep but then the hand against his back began moving.

"I am going to give you the only thing I own that I know you want," Klenn told him.

His heart began beating a little faster.

"And, yes, I have a backdoor to the Central Civil Services' systems as well as a copy of their database but it would be best if you never used it."

Shikamaru understood; it would be a huge risk because Centre's typed-geniuses would be watching for him. "I understand and thank you."

"I would have left you everything if you had not been sworn to Uchiha," Klenn admitted.

"Klenn..." Shikamaru began, about to resurrect their old argument.

"Sasuke Uchiha is not Uchiha, Shika," Klenn reminded him sharply. "Hopefully you will live another century and who knows who will be Uchiha-sama during that time? Even if it continues to be Sasuke Uchiha, what will he become once he no longer has Naruto to guide him? I have left you some things and Garner will be custodian of the rest."

"What about the improver?" Shika asked. If improvers were widely available, it would change known space forever.

"I have created options. Garner will choose between them depending on circumstances as they arise," Klenn replied.

Shikamaru's mind exploded with possibilities. He raced down one and then another and a third.

"Shika," Klenn called.

He came back to the present. "Sorry," he admitted.

They spoke about some other things. Shikamaru would think about each of them more deeply later; he knew that Klenn would have left him many messages to find and ponder.

After another silence Shikamaru said it.

"I will miss you."

The arm around him tightened. "I confess I am glad I do not have to live without you," Klenn replied. "You have Haru, who will help fill the gap."

Shikamaru agreed but Haru was not Klenn. He did not have Klenn's experience and knowledge. There were none of the deep, dark depths that lurked, threatening to swallow him.

"You will have to leave soon," Klenn warned.

His hand tightened on Klenn's shirt.

"I must give Garner the time he has earned," Klenn reminded him.

Shikamaru relaxed his grasp. Garner had always been there for Klenn. It was fitting that it should be him who was there at the end.

"You don't want me to come back?" he checked.

"This time it is not a matter of what I want," Klenn replied. "This time it is about Garner."

"You don't have to go yet," Shikamaru argued.

Klenn's fingers stroked his spine. "My mind is beginning to fail."

Shikamaru understood.

They had a few more minutes together and then Shikamaru did what he knew he must do. He pulled away.

He hesitated and then placed one, chaste kiss on Klenn's lips.

Klenn did not kiss back but, when they separated, he smiled. "Thank you, Shika."

Shikamaru felt himself blushing. "Goodbye, Klenn, I shall think of you often."

"Goodbye, Shika. I love you."

Shikamaru nodded. "I know."

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	2. Ties

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to melissen, donalgraeme, Brown Cornelia, danalexkayarimad and JustSomeGuy for reviewing Leader.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it. **

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**Leader**

**Part 1: The pod**

**2: Ties**

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Haru blinked, uncertain if he had heard correctly.

"You want me to brush your tail?"

Kazuki flushed. "I want to look good. Who else can I ask?"

Haru pulled himself together and took the brush. Ka-chan had a point; he was a bit old to be asking Kiba-san or To-chan. He started at the base and worked towards the tip. He tried to keep the strokes even; he knew how Ka-chan felt about people touching his tail.

"Do you think Hi-chan brushes Ry-chan's tail?" he asked.

Kazuki snorted. "Not a chance."

"I'll design you a tail brush," Haru promised. "Finished," he added. He had to admit, Ka-chan did look much smarter with a groomed tail. He pulled his own jacket into place. "Will I pass?"

Kazuki looked him up and down before focusing on his head. "As long as hair that looks like a duck's butt is smart," he replied.

For a spilt moment Haru thought Kazuki was serious and made a futile attempt to smooth down the back of his hair. Then he realised he was being teased.

"Ka-chan!" he complained. Haru knew that the only solution to his spiky hair was the one that Hoshi and Hikaru had taken; grow it. The trouble was, longer hair took more looking after.

Kazuki twitched his whiskers and grinned. "You look fine."

They slid open the door to their room and joined the others gathering in the shared area.

Ry-chan and the kits were buzzing with excitement at the thought of meeting the crew of the Ninken; the most successful of Uchiha's hybrid crews. What made it even better was that Captain Bull and his crew were canine-human hybrids, like them. There had even been talk among the kits about becoming a trainee on the Ninken.

The thought of the litter being broken up and scattered made Haru feel slightly sick.

Luckily there wasn't much time to think about it. Kiba-san came to check that they were smart enough and then it was off to the Hall for the official reception.

Haru knew that Papa had been worried about hitting the balance between honouring the Ninken's crew and overwhelming them. He had insisted that Kakashi-san meet them at the docking bay and take them to the guest crew room, where Iruka-sensei and Kamatari-san had shown them around and settled them in. He had even asked Kiba-san and Hana-san to attend to boost the number of hybrids at the official reception and the feast that was to follow.

Konan-san had volunteered to mind the younger children, including the triplets. None of the big litter could do it because they were going to be at the feast helping Choza-san.

Haru hoped he didn't drop anything.

Everyone took their places in the Hall. Papa stood at the front, under the crest, with To-chan on his left. There was no one in the traditional bodyguard position and To-chan wasn't wearing his tags.

Haru hoped that the Ninken's crew understood the compliment they were being paid. Papa would be open to a personal challenge. It was his way of acknowledging their loyalty; he was treating them like crew.

Their crew was lined up on either side, facing inwards, creating an aisle.

The big litter were five a side between Papa and To-chan and the rest of the crew. On Haru's side were Kazuki, Hoshi, Yuki and Kuuya. On the other side were Yoshimi, Yasushi, Keizo, Hikaru and Ryuu.

Ran was next to Iruka-sensei.

Haru's first thought was that Captain Bull was huge; as tall as Kisame-san and much wider. He made Kakashi-san, who was escorting them, look fragile.

In contrast Spokesperson Pakkun was tiny, shorter than him and Ka-chan.

As they walked up the aisle towards Papa, Haru realised that they were like To-chan. No image, not even a 3D vid, of To-chan ever conveyed what he was like, only one of Shi-chan's all-senses simulations could come close.

If you looked at a picture of the Ninken's crew you might think they looked rather comic. In reality they were scary. Only someone with very bad judgement would treat them with anything other than respect.

They stopped in front of Papa and Kakashi-san took his place at the side.

Papa drew his knife and held it high. "In the cold of space..."

Everyone who had a knife drew it and mimicked Papa's action. "...you find the heat of suns!"

There was the sound of steel against leather as over forty knives were returned to their scabbards.

"Crew of the Ninken, welcome," Papa began in his special voice that could fill a room. "You honour us with your presence. We commend you for your exemplary service and unshakable loyalty.

"Today the Ninken is promoted to the rank of Uchiha Allied Vessel, Premier Class. As the first crew to achieve this rank, the Ninken will also be known as UAV One."

Papa then presented them with a plaque for their ship and a gold badge to each member of the crew.

After that they broke ranks for the feast. Akemi, Misora, Keitaro and Ran moved the low tables to make a large U shape while the big litter placed the floor cushions.

The crew of the Ninken were seated with Papa and To-chan under the crest. Papa sat in the middle with Captain Bull on his right and To-chan on his left.

Everyone else took their places along the two sides of the U.

It was the big litter's job to set the table, bring out the food and then take away the empty dishes. Misora, Keitaro and Ran were keeping everyone's cup filled.

It was hard work. Their crew ate a lot but it was nothing in comparison to what the crew of the Ninken managed; it was like feeding To-chan eight times over.

Every so often Papa would call one of them over and introduce them to Captain Bull and the rest of the crew. When it came to Haru's turn he managed to bow properly and answer the question that Spokesperson Pakkun asked him.

Once every dish was empty and cleared, they lined up and bowed. To-chan was smiling at them, obviously pleased, and Papa complimented them on doing a good job.

They finished cleaning up in the kitchen off the Hall as the music started. Under Choza-san and Kiba-san's supervision, they boxed the left-overs, cycled the dish cleaners, packed the stained table linen into baskets and stored the crockery and cutlery.

Then what was to be returned to the crew room was loaded onto a hover platform while they cleaned the kitchen.

Occasionally Misora or Keitaro would come in to refill a jug. The music from the Hall was lively; Haru could hear Papa's biwa, Tayuya-san's flute and Tenten-san's drum.

"Time to go," Kiba-san told them. "You too, Ran-chan."

Choza-san smiled at them. "Thank you for your assistance. You did an excellent job." He squeezed Kiba-san's arm. "You could stay."

Kiba-san shook his head. "No. I am going to rescue Konan-san and make sure all the children settle down. Later?"

Choza-san gave Kiba-san one of those soft looks that were often exchanged between lovers. "Later," he agreed.

Ryuu and Kuuya guided the hover platform back to the big kitchen where Hoshi and Yuki volunteered to make sure all the leftovers were stored in the correct places. Then Kiba-san gave them forty minutes for themselves before he expected everyone to be in their own room.

He and Kazuki escaped into Ran's room.

Ran had already invited Sai to join them. Today he was full-sized and sitting on Ran's desk. Haru was pleased with the effect; he had spent a lot of time and effort getting the projectors in Ran's room just so.

Kazuki and Ran told Sai about the crew of the Ninken and the feast. Haru curled about a pillow on Ran's bed. He was tired; the excitement of the day and serving at the feast had taken it out of him.

"It would have been better if at least one of you had worn a camera and microphone," Sai complained.

Haru was slowly drifting away but too sleepy to care. He left it up to Ka-chan to try explaining why bugging the Hall during an official function was unacceptable.

Finally Kazuki told Sai that he was fed up with answering questions.

"I think we're going touring in the Oak," Ran announced into the silence.

It took a few moments for Ran's words to sink in and banish any thought of sleep. In that time, Ka-chan had already started asking questions.

"Ir-chan and Kashi-san have said a few things and stopped in the middle of saying others," Ran explained. "Ir-chan thinks it would be good for Shika-san."

Haru could see that; Klenn-sensei's death had hit Shi-chan hard. "Do you think we'll all go?" he asked. "Will the household be closed?"

Ran shrugged.

"Will I go?" Sai asked.

"Of course," Haru replied. He thought back to the battle to persuade Sai to move to the pocket array; it had been harder than getting Ran to leave his room on the Oak. "We may have to get you some new projectors."

"What about the simulators?"

Haru was pretty sure that To-chan and Papa would want to take the simulators in order to keep checking the kits and Ryuu for berserker tendencies, but he didn't want to say so in front of Ka-chan.

"Not that Sumiko wants to play often," Sai added.

There was silence. Sumiko had outgrown her 'imaginary' friend and Haru had insisted that Sai shouldn't tell her that he was real. Occasionally she would get nostalgic for her fairyland and pay a visit, but not often.

"She's safer this way," Haru reminded him.

"She is safer this way," Sai echoed, "but I miss her."

They were told officially the next morning. Apparently the departure date had been moved forward so that they could give the Ninken a lift outwards.

All their usual activities were suspended in favour of packing.

Haru was delighted when Shi-chan turned up in the playroom and asked for him. Whatever Shi-chan had in mind had to be a thousand times better than sorting the contents of cupboards so they could be packed.

Kiba-san looked suspicious but gave him permission to leave.

"In-san and En-san can't decide if they want to go or to stay," Shi-chan explained as they left the crew room, heading, Haru now realised, for In-san's laboratory. "Yesterday they were fine about going. Today they are panicking about leaving Nagato-chan and Konan-san."

"Tatsuji-san is going?" Haru asked.

"Yes, but he could probably stay if In-san and En-san were." Shi-chan grimaced. "We need them to make up their mind and stick to it before Iruka-sensei blows a gasket."

"Why aren't Konan-san and Nagato-chan coming with us?" Haru asked. "All the other children are going. Nagato-chan is going to be awfully lonely."

Haru suddenly realised that he was walking alone; Shi-chan had stopped, turned and was going the other way. He ran to catch up.

They found Iruka-sensei in his office. Having established that he had no objections to Konan-san, Hana-san and Nagato-chan accompanying them on the Oak, they began looking for Papa.

He wasn't in his office. In the end they found out that he had been at Uchiha Headquarters and was on his way back.

Haru would have waited for him outside his office but Shi-chan had them lurking in the park.

Papa waved Sumaru-san, Konohamaru-san and Kamatari-san to go on ahead.

"Shika," he acknowledged. "Haru-chan."

Shi-chan launched into his explanation about In-san and En-san, concluding, "Haru-chan suggested that we ask Konan-san to bring Hana-san and Nagato-chan on the Oak, so we are checking if that is allowable."

"Who have you asked so far?" Papa checked.

"Iruka-sensei," Shi-chan answered. "He was fine with it."

Papa considered before speaking. "I think Haru is correct, Nagato-chan will miss Tsu-chan and Shou-chan. Ha-chan, who do you think would be the best person to ask Konan-san to consider accompanying us on the Oak?"

Haru thought about it. "Tsu-chan and Shou-chan will miss Nagato-chan too," he suggested.

"That is so," Papa agreed.

"Then I think To-chan would be the best person to ask her," Haru decided.

Papa smiled at him. "Very well deduced, Haru-chan. I believe that your To-chan is in his office and will doubtless welcome an interruption."

To-chan was indeed in his office. He was sitting at his desk viewing tapes.

He looked sad.

Papa went directly to him. "Naruto, I thought we agreed you wouldn't do this," he scolded gently. "You would send the tapes on to the HDF office."

"But they're addressed to me," To-chan replied. "I have to check them first."

Haru realised that the tapes were from people asking for help.

To-chan turned off the viewer, turned to him and smiled. "What's up Haru-chan?"

Haru began telling To-chan about In-san and En-san. "So we think it would be good if they all came with us but that means Konan-san has to change her mind. We think you would be the best person to ask her."

"We?" To-chan queried.

"Haru," Papa specified.

Haru felt himself blushing. "Please, To-chan. If you ask Konan-san, it tells her that Papa is all right with it," he explained.

To-chan turned his gaze on Shi-chan, who looked a bit guilty.

Haru wondered what he was missing.

Then To-chan stood up. "Very well, the sooner the better given the amount of packing everyone has to do." He kissed Papa on the cheek. "I'd better go alone or Konan-san will realise it's a conspiracy. Perhaps Haru-chan should go back to the playroom," he added but he was looking at Shi-chan when he said it, so Haru did the same.

Shi-chan's face fell; if he had had whiskers, they would have drooped.

"Or maybe not," To-chan suggested and then smiled when Shi-chan perked up.

Haru realised that To-chan was teasing Shi-chan. He liked it when he got to see To-chan and Shi-chan and Papa being friends. To-chan headed for the door, Shi-chan was watching him and Haru's attention was caught by a look from Papa.

"Look after Shika-san," he mouthed.

Haru gave a tiny nod. He understood; with everyone so busy Shi-chan could be on his own grieving while each person thought he was with someone else.

They started off by completing the journey to In-san's laboratory, where they found En-san in meltdown and In-san trying to ignore him and pack, which was nigh on impossible.

"Don't think of it as packing, En-san," Haru advised.

At least it distracted En-san enough for In-san to begin sorting through one of the many work surfaces.

"Think of it as getting In-san to tidy up. You are always trying to get him to tidy up."

It worked. En-san managed a smile. "I suppose so."

In-san threw him a look that Haru took to mean, 'Keep it up, I can get on while he's talking.'

"Kiba-san is insisting we sort and tidy everything, whether we are going to take it or not," Haru added.

"Are you looking forward to being on the Oak again, Haru-chan?" En-san asked.

Haru tried his best to smile. "Yes, although it probably won't be much different from being here. Not unless Papa lets us drop to the planets or disembark at the spacestations." He couldn't see Papa allowing either; he was obsessed with keeping them safe after the kidnapping.

Which In-san had planned, which was the weirdest thought.

"Maybe interesting people will visit you on the Oak," En-san suggested.

Haru liked that idea. "That would be good. Maybe I'll get to meet Kotohime-san when we go to Haven." Haven was their first port of call. "I hope you and In-san decide to come with us," he admitted. "Although I'll understand if you decide to stay," he added hastily.

En-san sighed. "I shall miss you and Shika-san so much if we do not go." The hands moving over the desk started to tremble. "Perhaps Sasuke-sama won't agree to Tatsuji staying."

"En-chan!" In-san complained. "Stop making up problems that may not exist."

"You want to leave Nagato-chan," En-san accused.

"I do not. How could you stay such a thing?"

Haru sighed and looked towards Shi-chan, who shrugged and looked helpless.

There was a knock at the door.

"Why don't you answer that Haru-chan?" Shi-chan suggested.

It was Hana-san and, as Haru had hoped, she was there to tell In-san and En-san that Konan-san's plans had changed and that they were all going on the Oak.

Haru thought Hana managed very well when En-san hugged her, although she did insist she had a great deal to do and refuse to enter the laboratory.

As soon as she left, En-san danced his and In-san's body around the room in celebration while In-san grumbled.

Then he and Shi-chan were alone because En-san had dashed off to tell Tatsuji-san.

Haru stared at the open doorway and imagined what it would be like to share his body with Kazuki.

"They are never lonely though," Shi-chan pointed out, as if Haru had voiced his thought. "I really should check on how Neji and Su-chan are doing. They are packing her things." He paused to judge Haru's reaction. "You are welcome to come."

Sumiko's scowl confirmed that she didn't want Haru on her territory. He made sure that he did not put a foot over the threshold of her room but it appeared that even being in the sitting room that the three of them shared was a major offense.

Even Shi-chan's suggestion of cookies didn't work.

"We'll have the midday meal together," Neji-san promised, steering Shi-chan towards the door to the shared area. "Why don't you and Ha-chan have cookies in the kitchen?"

Unlike the rest of the crew, Choza-san seemed completely unfazed by the move to the Oak. He had a few baskets packed with his favourite utensils and ingredients but otherwise the kitchen was unaffected. He swiftly made a cup of coffee in for Shi-chan and poured a cup of fruit juice for Haru.

"Five standards is a long time for you children," Choza-san explained. "Everything you have and use has changed. For us it is different. The galley on the Oak is there waiting for me. My room is waiting for me. It will be like putting on a different pair boots that fit as well as the ones I have been wearing."

Haru could see that. Choza-san put the cookie jar on the table. Inside was one of Haru's favourites and next to it was one of Su-chan's.

"Maybe we should take cookies to Su-chan and Neji-san," he suggested.

"That is an excellent idea, Ha-chan," Choza replied before Shi-chan could comment. "A tray with tea for Neji-san and juice and a cookie for Sumiko-chan."

They had it ready when Neji-san and Sumiko appeared in the doorway. Su-chan was still scowling at him but it no longer looked like she really meant it.

"Haru-chan was about to bring you juice and a cookie," Choza pointed out.

Su-chan looked at the tray and then at Haru. Haru could see her thinking that he had chosen the correct cookie. He tensed; he would not put it past her to pretend it wasn't.

All three adults were waiting; hoping that she would say something nice.

She smiled at him. It was utterly sweet, completely false and made him want to hit her. "Thank you, Ha-ru-chan," she singsonged, just like Takara did when she wanted to annoy him.

Choza-san smiled hopefully, Neji-san sighed and Shi-chan finished the rest of his coffee with a single gulp. Then they looked at him.

Haru was eleven and she was only seven. She was one while he was one of ten. He had Ran and she hadn't anyone she could call a friend. He had To-chan and Papa while she still missed her Pa and her Ma.

And today, for the first time since Shi-chan had become Sumiko's Nii-san, he and Shi-chan had spent time together without pretending it was a lesson or a duty.

Haru smiled. "You are welcome. Sumiko-chan."

* * *

.


	3. Choices

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to melissen, donalgraeme, Brown Cornelia, danalexkayarimad and JustSomeGuy for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Any scene considered too graphic has been replaced by oo******oo**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: The pod**

**3: Choices**

* * *

Sasuke made a brief foray into consciousness when Naruto slid from the bed; enough to grab him and demand a kiss. Then he sank back into sleep until Naruto arrived back from his run.

The sound of the shower starting spurred him into action. A quick trip to the head and he managed to reach Naruto before he finished rinsing.

"Teme," Naruto murmured, half in complaint and half in welcome, as Sasuke joined him.

Sasuke ran his hand down Naruto's flank and kissed his neck. "Just an old-fashioned quickie," he pleaded.

Naruto gave a humph of disbelief and did not move to give Sasuke better access to his neck.

"Or we could put your thingy in and it could be the other type of quickie," Sasuke suggested and was rewarded by a growl.

**oo******oo**

Moving to the Oak had fired Naruto's territorial instincts and, despite being fifteen days into their journey, he had yet to completely settle. A few more kisses and he would be ready to demonstrate his 'ownership' of Sasuke again; all thoughts of their busy mornings forgotten.

Sasuke reluctantly broke the kiss. "Later," he whispered. "Tonight we'll let growling-possessive-Naruto out."

Naruto smiled. "He's been spoiled lately," he admitted and stood up, taking Sasuke with him.

They showered together, being careful to soothe rather than excite.

"We could be in time for the children's breakfast," Naruto pointed out as they dried under the blowers.

Sasuke had thought it was later. It was tempting to tell Naruto to go ahead and then delay; breakfast with all thirteen of them was hardly the most restful start to a day.

Only Naruto had mentioned it, which meant that he was hoping that Sasuke would join them.

The kits and Ryuu were already at the table, putting away more food than Sasuke would have thought possible. They did manage to pause to greet them politely but then it was back to the serious business of fuelling active bodies with high metabolisms in the middle of a growth spurt.

Misora had Naruto's breakfast ready and waiting. Keitaro placed it in front of him and then started making the tea and toast that Sasuke favoured.

Hoshi and Hikaru arrived. They were surprised to see him, confirming that he should get up early more often. They took their usual places at the table and began assembling their breakfasts from the debris on the table.

Next Tsuneo ran through the doorway, "Papa! Papa!"

Sasuke stood up, otherwise Tsu-chan would climb into his lap and Kiba would tell him off. He picked Tsu-chan, gave him a hug and deposited him into one of the three children's chairs at the table.

Takara and Teruko were taking the other two. Sasuke kissed each of them on the top of their heads, greeted Kiba and resumed his seat.

Finally Haru arrived. He stood blinking; as if seeing his Papa at the breakfast table was a major shock.

"Haru-chan," Sasuke hinted.

Haru pulled himself together. "Papa, To-chan, Kiba-san," he replied and took his place beside Ka-chan. After a few more minutes of appearing to do nothing but blink, he reached for some food.

"Papa?" Hoshi asked.

"Yes, Ho-chan?" he replied.

"Will you be able to spare time for my music lesson today?"

Sasuke had promised himself that Hoshi would have at least one music lesson every two days to compensate for being separated from her music teachers. So far he had only managed three and they were almost at Haven. "Definitely, Hoshi-chan. You must come to my office for the whole of today's private study session."

Hoshi smiled. "That would be awesome, Papa. Today that's the second session," she warned him.

Sasuke realised he should have checked; he would have to move his meetings with Kakashi and Neji. He smiled back. "I'll expect you," he confirmed.

"Would you like some coffee, Sasuke-sama?" Keitaro asked. "I have the machine on for Kakashi-san and Shika-san."

"That would be excellent, Keitaro-kun. Thank you," Sasuke replied. Mornings that started with sex and went on to breakfasting with the children definitely required coffee.

Kakashi agreed to move their meeting to the next day in return for an immediate and intense twenty minute spar. Sasuke was not surprised; Kakashi disapproved of him concentrating on fitness and strength rather than fighting.

Sasuke resigned himself to being thoroughly and repeatedly defeated whilst hoping Naruto was not close enough to interfere.

"Considering how little practice you do, it could be worse," Kakashi admitted afterwards as they wound down in the steam room.

"Thank you," Sasuke replied. "I had a good teacher."

Kakashi bowed to acknowledge the compliment.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes and then Kakashi spoke.

"Do you want Hoshi to be a musician because that was what you would have chosen for yourself?"

It took Sasuke a while to wrap his head around the question. Did he want Hoshi to become a musician? "I want her to have the choice," he replied. "That means developing her musical skills while she is young."

"The choice you did not have," Kakashi reminded him.

"The choice I did not have," Sasuke admitted. "The choice I never had. Father would have forbidden it while he was alive and once he was dead I had only one future."

"Uchiha-sama," Kakashi acknowledged.

"Yes. The only escape is death. I know that."

Kakashi was looking at him with his one eye. "Is that how you see it? A prison?"

Sasuke frowned. Had he used the word 'escape'? "No. It is an honour and a privilege. I am proud to lead the new Uchiha."

"Perhaps New Uchiha can be different in other ways," Kakashi suggested. "Maybe you will be able to give over the leadership to one of your children or grandchildren."

But Sasuke refused to think that far ahead, to the time when Naruto would no longer be with him. He chose to change the subject rather than answer.

"You are sure about recruiting Five?" Sasuke himself was anything but sure. Five had been alpha male of a group since he was a child. Sasuke struggled to see how he would even fit in. The hybrids in the crew were excellent role models for his sons, but Five?

Kakashi frowned at him. "Yes, I am sure about Five. I have been sure about Five since we first met him. Nothing we have learned since has changed my mind."

"He's only twelve," Sasuke argued.

"Thirteen," Kakashi responded, "and it is different for hybrids. You know that."

Sasuke wished he did not. Soon he would have to decide if he was going to hold Ryuu and the kits back to maintain the integrity of the litter.

"Kotohime says we have a window of opportunity that will soon pass," Kakashi reminded him. "The sweet girl in Five's group, the one who signs, has mated with Chamu. Either Five will find himself a mate and expand his group or he will move on and his group will become one of Chamu's sub-groups. Five joining Uchiha is the perfect solution. Sasuke-sama, he is my number five. I know it."

Iruka, Shikamaru, Naruto, Inari and now Five; Sasuke had to admit that there was something elegant about Five being the fifth. "I trust your judgment, Kakashi-sensei."

After his second shower of the day it was back to his office to prepare for Hoshi's music lesson. As he entered, his eyes went automatically to the new door in the wall behind his desk.

They had finally installed Neji in the adjacent office. The move had been discussed on and off for standards but had never happened. Moving to the Oak gave them a chance to experiment; it was much easier to alter the Oak than the Household. The sticking point had been Shika; with Shino staying in Tarrasade there was no way Neji would leave him in the laboratory alone.

So Shika was next door with Neji. The idea was that Shikamaru and his mess would stay down the far end. So far it had worked; whenever they opened the linking door Sasuke had only seen Neji's end, which was pleasantly neat.

The small light beside the door was blue, showing that Neji was in and available. Sasuke changed the equivalent on Neji's side from red, meaning out, to amber, indicating that he was in but unavailable.

Once he had arranged their two stools and the stand for Hoshi's music, Sasuke took his biwa down from its shelf, removed it from its case and checked the tuning.

Hoshi arrived precisely on time and they were soon into the lesson. Hoshi would play and Sasuke would listen. When she stopped, which was sometimes when she was struggling but usually at the end of the piece, Sasuke would ask her what she thought, they would discuss it and, if appropriate, he would demonstrate what he meant on his biwa.

It was wonderful. Sasuke had always enjoyed teaching music to his children but that usually ended up being about the children rather than the music. This was different. It was music made better by sharing it with Hoshi.

The time flew by. Before Sasuke could believe it possible, it was time for Hoshi's midmeal. He began packing away his biwa and Hoshi did the same. When she had finished she stood properly and gave a bow.

"Thank you for the lesson, Papa."

Sasuke bowed back. "It was a pleasure, Hoshi-chan."

Then the biwa was returned to its place on the shelf and it was back to business. He changed the indicator on Neji's side of the door from amber to blue.

Neji waited a few minutes before opening the door.

"Working midmeal?" Sasuke suggested.

"In hand, Sasuke-sama," Neji assured him. "I suggested that might be the case to Choza-san. He will send down a tray if we do not make a timely appearance."

Neji had been busy. He had a list of the people Sasuke should meet while they were at Haven. Each meeting would require preparation and follow-up; he was going to be extremely busy.

At least the list included four allied crews; Sasuke had been very encouraged by his meeting with the crew of the Ninken.

"I have been looking into ways that Hyuga support the people they serve," Neji admitted.

Sasuke tried to cover his surprise; Neji usually avoided mentioning the Hyuga.

"I've been talking about it to Shika. We've looked at various systems and he's knocked out something for us to try."

Sasuke nodded and slid an interface towards Neji, who used it to activate the projector and call up the programme.

It was an interactive database of people. Each person was represented by a small avatar. Packed within each avatar were layer upon layer of information. The stuff Neji and Shika thought he was most likely to need was at the top but he could mine down to any small detail he required.

"The accessibility of the information changes with each enquiry you make," Neji told him. "But the most important part is what happens when you bring up more than one avatar."

Sasuke selected three. Immediately a network appeared showing the ways in which they were related. There were nodes in the network that could be interrogated, like the avatars.

"Yellow is the analysis automatically generated by the programme," Neji explained. "If Shika has considered it the additional information is in green. My colour is red. Yours is blue. We can add more colours, for example for Itachi and Kakashi."

Sasuke could see that using the new system would be an improvement. Not only would it speed up what he did at the moment, it would make it easier for him to do more of his own thinking rather than relying on others.

"This is excellent, Neji. Thank you."

Neji gave one of his almost smiles. "It is only this good because I asked Shika and I only did that because I wanted him occupied. Next thing I knew, we were on the way to this."

That was typical of Shikamaru; you posed a question and you got an answer to that and a thousand others, most of which you could never have thought of asking.

They had begun working through the list of upcoming meetings when the door announcer sounded. It was Keitaro with their meal. As soon as he left, Sasuke slipped into the role of host, making tea and initiating polite conversation.

"How's the new office?" Sasuke asked.

Neji's expression became totally unreadable, which Sasuke took to mean that that there were some teething problems. "I am finding it most suitable," he replied.

"And Shika?"

"He is still trying to adapt it to his needs," Neji admitted.

Sasuke imagined the state of Shikamaru's end of the room as he 'adapted' it. "I couldn't share an office with Naruto," he observed, wondering how Neji managed to stand it.

"No," Neji agreed. "You wouldn't get any work done."

Sasuke realised what Neji meant and fought a flush. "Not that, he's too untidy," he insisted but his eyes went to the portrait of Naruto on the wall and his mind to Naruto in the shower that morning.

Neji was looking at him.

"You are right though," Sasuke admitted.

"It is good," Neji assured him. "Your love for him is the core of new Uchiha."

Sasuke decided to change the subject; talking to Neji about sex was just too weird. "Let's look at the next names on the list as we eat."

They had finished the first pass through the list by mid afternoon, after which Neji went back next door and Sasuke walked around the occupied levels of the Oak.

He tried to do that at least once in every three days. It gave him chanced to speak to the quieter members of the crew.

This time he came across the triplets, Shou and Nagato having a lesson with Konan in hydroponics. Even Takara was utterly absorbed in her plants and how they had grown. Tsuneo was determined to tell his Papa about every step in the process. He ended up sitting with Nagato in his lap while Tsuneo demonstrated.

After the lecture was finished, Sasuke lifted Nagato down and stood up, only to find the child hugging his legs.

"I am sorry, Sasuke-sama," Konan apologised. "I am afraid he finds you more interesting than the plants. He grew up surrounded by plants."

Sasuke crouched down, which served to both detach and distract Nagato. "What do you like best, Nagato-chan?" he asked.

The child considered. "Tsuneo," he replied and moved away towards where Tsu-chan was tending his tomato plants.

Sasuke smiled; he had anticipated a food, a toy or a game.

The extra time in hydroponics had put him behind but he made up time by using Neji and Shika's programme rather than handwritten notes to record the information in the latest reports from affiliated or allied crews. It meant he was just in time for the triplets' bedtime.

He listened to them telling Kiba about the plants as they bathed. He was wondering where Naruto was when familiar arms snaked around him from behind.

"Kiba enjoys it," Naruto whispered. "Go get your biwa and play for them instead of a story."

Sasuke complied.

Since moving onto the Oak they had decided that the big litter would eat their evemeal with the crew. Mealtime for the children had been moved back and for the adults had moved forward to meet in the middle.

Today the whole crew were there other than Akemi and Hamaki, who were on duty in the control room; even Izumo, Kotetsu and Ayame were present.

Sasuke sat at the head of the table with Naruto beside him. At the other end sat Iruka and Kakashi. The children were mixed in with the crew.

It felt good.

After dessert the children excused themselves as the coffee arrived. Then, gradually, the adults began drifting away. Iruka himself placed two bottles of whisky on the table before kissing Kakashi and leaving.

It was time for him and Naruto to go.

They checked that the triplets were asleep and the big litter were in bed before withdrawing to their room.

"How was your day?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto smiled. "Good. There are a lot of messages from Haven. They know we're coming," he warned.

Sasuke understood; any public appearance would have to be carefully managed. "Have you spoken to Neji and Itachi?"

Naruto nodded.

Nodding rather than extending the conversation was Sasuke's cue. He stroked Naruto's thigh and was rewarded by a faint purr.

A purr rather than a growl was unexpected. He rubbed Naruto's back with one hand and tickled him under the chin with the other. The purr intensified as Naruto stretched his neck and arched his whiskers.

Unfocused blue eyes were looking at him through golden lashes; it looked like fluffy-soft-Naruto had missed Sasuke as much as Sasuke had missed him.

**oo******oo**

They cuddled for a while before Sasuke was shoved out so that the sleeping nest could be properly built. He was playing his part, proffering pillows and dodging those that were rejected, when the intercom clicked.

Naruto froze and whimpered. Sasuke wondered at his reaction but then realised that the noise was from the intercom that linked their bedroom to the shared area. No one would use it unless there was an emergency.

"_Kakashi here. Sasuke-sama, I apologise for disturbing you but I need to speak with you in private."_

Sasuke stroked Naruto's hair and then went to the door. He did not open it, choosing instead to use the intercom.

"Sasuke here. Come to the door to the nursery."

The triplets' nursery was smaller than the big litter's had been, so there was a small store room between it and the shared area. Sasuke asked Naruto to stay where he was and promised to come back. He then locked the door between their bedroom and the shared area, dragged on some sleep shorts and went through to the store room.

At least Kakashi had the grace to look embarrassed.

Sasuke held out a hand for the display tablet Kakashi was carrying.

Kakashi handed it over. "It was part of a priority one message from the Electron. One of the affiliated crews had picked up a signal and recognised it as one of the Uchiha codes we had taught them. They couldn't track down the source themselves so they told the Electron about it."

That made sense; they would have told the most senior of the allied crews within range.

"Maybe they should have told us immediately, but you know what they are like. They wanted to impress you. They tracked it down." Kakashi gestured towards the tablet.

Sasuke studied the image. It was a survival pod, although not a design with which he was familiar. On the side was an Uchiha crest.

"There is someone in it," Kakashi told him. "Apparently he or she is alive."

* * *

.


	4. Night and day

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to melissen, donalgraeme, Brown Cornelia, danalexkayarimad, JustSomeGuy and silentnight for reviewing Leader.

silentnight asked for a list of the children. It is at the end of this chapter and in my profile.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: The pod**

**4: Night and day**

* * *

Shikamaru went over every scrap of data from the Electron byte by byte.

It would be more sensible to wait until the Dart reached the Electron. That was the plan. Itachi and Kisame had been dispatched in the Dart, carrying all the equipment Shikamaru, Rin and Kotetsu could pack into the tiny craft. They were laying a string of mini-gates in their wake. Once they had the pod, they would carry out tests and relay the data back to the Oak.

Shikamaru did not care about sensible. He needed to be busy. He had used the Electron's spec to come up with tests that the crew could carry out. He had been getting them to compress the data they collected so that it could be injected into the data streams for him to retrieve.

He reviewed what he had so far, going systematically from one division of his mind to the next. There was a way of extracting more from the data he had and two possibilities for the Electron to try.

He dismissed one; it was too much work for the crew. He sorted out instructions for the other, added a polite request, coded the message, tagged it and squirted it into the data streams. It would be picked up by the 'decoder' that the more senior allied crews carried.

He was proud of the decoder. It had taken him and Kotetsu standards to get from his initial idea to a box they could put into the ships. It allowed the crews to communicate with Uchiha and with each other without telling them that they were using minigates and hacking data relays.

Like the improver, any attempt to find out what was in the box destroyed its contents.

Thinking of the improver reminded him of Klenn. The grief surged, threatening to engulf him.

And with the grief came all the other emotions: guilt that he missed Klenn more than his Pa; confusion about Neji; regret that he hadn't spent more time with Klenn; shame that little things like having to work in the new office upset him so much.

He wanted Na-chan. Naruto never asked questions and never made demands. Naruto just held him and made him feel safe.

But it was the middle of ship's night. Na-chan was where he belonged, in the bed he shared with Sasuke.

He checked the time even though he knew he shouldn't. All it did was confirm how long it was until Sumiko would wake up.

He had never been so thankful for Sumiko. Life with Sumiko was all about responding to her needs. She wouldn't tolerate his attention sliding away.

There was a touch on his arm.

It would be Neji. Only Neji would come to find him in the middle of ship's night because only Neji knew that he wasn't where he was meant to be, in their bed.

He reluctantly lifted his goggles.

It was Kakashi. Shikamaru just stared at him. Then he realised Kakashi's lips were moving and pulled out his ear pieces.

"I looked in the laboratory first," Kakashi repeated.

Shikamaru was still lost. "Is Neji looking for me?"

Kakashi pulled up and chair and sat down. "No."

"Did Iruka-sensei send you?"

"No." Kakashi looked about the office. "I thought you hated having to work in here."

Shikamaru felt himself flush. He had tried to hide how he felt about the new office. "I don't want Neji to find me in the laboratory. He's put so much time and effort into this." He gestured at the bays, each of which catered for a different aspect of Shikamaru's work.

Kakashi looked about and shook his head. "Sometimes Neji worries me. Surely he realises by now that you need to have everything at your fingertips."

Shikamaru relaxed one small notch. Maybe it wasn't just him being difficult. "It's tidier this way. Sasuke can't stand a mess."

"Sasuke doesn't have to enter this room any more often than he did the laboratory," Kakashi pointed out. "That didn't kill him. The solution is easy. Put up screens so Sasuke can't see this end when he opens the door. Then get rid of the bays and start again. I always imagined a huge circular workbench, like a ring, with you sitting in the middle on a swivel chair that doubles as a simulator. You'd have multiple 3D projectors above, for when you didn't want to use your goggles. The workbench and all the shelves and drawers would be made of that fancy plastic that changes from opaque to transparent, so you could see what was stored there."

It sounded great; Shikamaru realised that he was smiling. Then he imagined telling Neji that he wanted something different.

"That didn't last long," Kakashi observed. He stood up and stepped forward.

Before Shikamaru could react he was pulled to his feet and wrapped in a firm, close hug. It felt good. He felt safe.

"By the Lady, you are thin," Kakashi murmured. "We understand, Shika-kun. Your emotions are in tatters. You barely know which way is up and which is down. It's called grief and it's normal."

"But..." Shikamaru began.

"No buts. You are allowed to grieve for Klennethon Darrent. He was your friend. He has been an important part of your life for over a decade. He was the only person you have met who could understand how you think. In a parallel universe he would have been the love of your life."

Shikamaru stiffened but then relaxed. Did people know that? Was it that obvious? "But not this one," he whispered.

"But not this one," Kakashi confirmed. "In this one the age gap was too great and he was too damaged."

"I don't... I don't..." Shikamaru hesitated. He almost lost his nerve. Then he pushed on. Who else could he confide in? "I don't think Neji is the love of my life."

Kakashi tightened the hug but he chuckled. "Shika-kun, we know that. Neji himself knows. Even Sumiko knows. What does she say? Rings-and-forever? Even Sumiko says the two of you are rings rather than rings-and-forever."

Shikamaru sighed. It would be so much easier if Neji was the love of his life. That was why he had pursued him. He had wanted someone special.

"The two of you are friends," Kakashi reminded him. "You enjoy each other's company. You share sex. You look after each other and help each other through the tough patches. You love him and he loves you, even if both of you feel there may be someone out there you could love more deeply and intensely. It is good. You need to appreciate it for what it is, not worry about what it is not."

Put like that it sounded better than good. "Neji knows?" he queried.

"Neji knows. He also knows you hate the new office."

"He does?"

"He does. Now, are you going back to bed or would you like to go to the galley and do something sensible like drink hot chocolate?"

"Coffee?" Shikamaru suggested hopefully.

They sat in the galley and drank shots of thick, black coffee laced with whisky. Shikamaru knocked back his third and imagined the lecture they would get from Iruka if they were caught.

"So what do you think about the survival pod?" Kakashi asked.

Shikamaru hesitated; he hadn't told anyone yet, not even Sasuke. Then some part of his mind must have decided to speak because his tongue started working. "It's very old."

Kakashi's cup had been halfway to his lips. Instead he returned it to the table. "How old?"

"Almost as old as Uchiha," Shikamaru admitted. "Maybe as old as Uchiha."

There was silence. Kakashi drained his cup before he spoke. "You know what the Far Fringe is like. They use and reuse everything until it falls apart. It was probably found in some salvage yard and put back into service."

Shikamaru poured the coffee into the tiny cups; three quarters full for him and half full for Kakashi. Kakashi topped up the cups with whisky.

They knocked them back simultaneously. Shikamaru could feel the tension draining away. Kakashi understood about Klenn and Neji. He was right about the office. He was probably right about the pod.

They washed the cups, hid the whisky and left the galley before there was even the smallest chance Iruka would find them there. Kakashi headed for bed. Shikamaru settled onto the couch in the sitting room he, Neji and Sumiko shared; with so much caffeine in his system, sleep was out of the question. He donned goggles, earpieces and one control glove, set an in-ear alarm and dived into the data streams.

This time the hand was running down his flank, which meant he was dreaming or it was Neji.

He pushed up his goggles and pulled out his earpieces.

"You're buzzed," Neji accused.

"Kakashi fed me coffee and whisky," Shikamaru admitted before he thought to censor his words. "Don't tell Iruka-sensei," he added.

Neji smiled but it was sad even for a Neji smile. "You could have woken me," he pointed out.

Shikamaru didn't know how to answer.

Neji picked him up and sat down with Shikamaru in his lap. Shikamaru did not mind in the least. He liked it when Neji did stuff like that; usually Neji asked.

He snuggled close and began playing with Neji's hair.

"Shika," Neji complained but did not stop him. "No chewing," he insisted, "it damages the ends."

"Kakashi had an idea for the office," Shikamaru told him.

Neji gave him a hug. "Good. Is it crazy enough to work?"

Shikamaru nodded. Bizarrely, he was suddenly utterly exhausted. He lay his head on Neji's shoulder and shut his eyes.

When he woke he was in their bed. He reached out but Neji was not there.

"Are you awake?" a voice demanded.

Shikamaru sat bolt upright. For one awful moment he had thought it was his mother but it was only Sumiko. He turned and found her sitting on a chair by the bed scowling at him.

She was wearing yellow; no one with a hangover should have to see yellow.

"Shouldn't you be in the playroom?" he asked.

"No," she told him, brandishing a tablet. "Iruka-sensei said that I could work here and look after you."

Shikamaru guessed that Iruka knew about the coffee and whisky. He wondered what punishment Iruka had concocted for Kakashi.

He rolled out of the far side of the bed and dived into the head. It was the one place Sumiko wouldn't follow him.

It won him a few minutes' grace. Then Sumiko was knocking on the door and asking him if he was all right.

She insisted on watching him shower. Then she ordered him to put on some sleep pants and sit on a stool while she combed out his hair. Shikamaru was just thankful that Neji had taught her how to work up from the ends rather than digging the comb in at the roots and yanking it through.

"Your ribs are sticking out," she informed him. "Iruka-sensei says you aren't eating enough and aren't looking after yourself properly."

Shikamaru shut his eyes; surely drinking coffee and whisky didn't merit this level of punishment?

"He says that you've looked after me for four standards and it's time I looked after you."

"I like being your Nii-san," Shikamaru answered, which was true now, even if it hadn't been when he had first been landed with the job.

The combing stopped. "Iruka-sensei says I'm selfish," Sumiko admitted in a small voice.

Shikamaru's eyes snapped open. Surely Iruka wouldn't say it like that? "You aren't selfish," he insisted, "but sometimes you behave in a selfish way," he admitted.

"Is that why I haven't got any friends?" Sumiko asked.

Her expression cut Shikamaru to the core. He plucked the comb from her fingers, set it aside and lifted her into his lap. "Who would you like to be your friend?"

Sumiko sighed. "There isn't anyone," she told him. "Ayame and Hoshi are too old, Mai and Naomi have each other and Takara and Teruko are mean."

"None of the boys?" Shikamaru asked, expecting to be told off.

Sumiko looked wistful. "I miss playing with Sai," she told him.

Sai had been her imaginary friend, the one that Haru had put in the simulation for her. He thought fast. "Lots of children entertain themselves with fictional characters, Su-chan. They read stories and like the characters. Or they pretend to be a character in a game. Or they enjoy simulations that contain made-up people. If you enjoyed the simulation with Sai in it, then you ought to play using that."

"The fairyland isn't as fun anymore."

"That's because you are older," Shikamaru told her. "We can put Sai into other stories."

"You can?"

"I might have to ask Haru," he admitted and watched her hopeful expression change to grumpy. "Su-chan, Haru tries to get on with you. Couldn't you try to get on with him?"

"I hate him," Sumiko declared.

Shikamaru's nascent good mood evaporated. "Why, Su-chan?" he asked.

"He has his Papa and his To-chan and Ran as a best friend and Kazuki but I still have to share you with him."

Shikamaru knew what Neji and Iruka and Haku and Kiba and even Naruto would say; he shouldn't just give in to her. "Su-chan, I like spending time with you but I like spending time with Haru too."

"Why?"

He didn't know what to say. There were many reasons and each one was likely to make Sumiko more jealous rather than less. Perhaps Sumiko was right; Haru had so many other people in his life and she had so few.

But spending time with Haru was one of the few things that helped since Klenn died.

"Does spending time with Haru make you less sad?" she asked.

Whatever question he may have expected, it was not that. "Yes," he admitted.

Her chin came up. "Then I like it," she announced. "I don't like Haru but I like you spending time with him." She hopped off his lap and reclaimed the comb. "We need to finish combing your hair before it dries all tangled."

Shikamaru blinked back tears. "Thank you, Su-chan."

"You are welcome, Nii-san."

He managed to escape Sumiko's clutches after the midday meal, during which she filled his plate and watched intently until he cleared it completely.

"Did you have a nice morning?" Iruka asked once all the children, including Sumiko, had left for the playroom.

Shikamaru was not going to be tricked into confessing about the coffee and the whisky. "Yes. Sumiko has decided that I can spend time with Haru because it makes me less sad."

Iruka's gaze softened. "That's wonderful, Shika-kun, a real breakthrough."

"I wish she got on better with the other children," Shikamaru admitted.

"She isn't the easiest person to be with," Iruka pointed out. "I'll try to give her more opportunities to share activities with the others, maybe some paired work."

"She's going to start using the simulator again." Shikamaru could see that Iruka did not approve. "Same restrictions as before."

Iruka considered and nodded. "Very well. More simulator, more paired work and we'll see if we can make any progress."

"I need to speak with Haru about the simulator. Is he available this afternoon?"

Iruka raised his eyebrows. "Do you think I carry all their schedules in my head?"

Shikamaru smiled. "Yes."

"They are in the simulators now, having piloting instruction. They have private study in the last slot."

Once Iruka had left, Shikamaru thought about going to the office but delayed by having another cup of coffee. He watched Choza making up a tray for Keitaro to take to Sasuke's office.

Lately Neji and Sasuke had worked through the midday break most days.

Shikamaru stared at the surface of his coffee. His mind started to drift and divide.

An unexpected touch on his shoulder and it wasn't Neji because Neji was taking the seat opposite him. "Shika," Sasuke greeted him; his voice rich and low. "How are you? Naruto is worried."

Shikamaru knew that meant that they were both worried. "I caught up on some sleep this morning. Then, when I woke up, Su-chan looked after me."

Sasuke's eyes smiled. "Lucky you. I hear you and Neji are going to have another go at getting the office right. Maybe Izumo and Kiba could help with that."

In other words, if we put our best people on it perhaps the noise and disruption will be kept to a minimum. Even so, Shikamaru appreciated Sasuke giving his permission.

"Have you eaten?" Neji asked, looking at the cup of coffee.

"Yes, Sumiko insisted I ate twice as much as I usually do."

"Good," Sasuke commented. "I want you to relax for the rest of the day. We have rescheduled this morning's strategy meeting for tomorrow. Why don't you go to your woods?" He looked at Neji. "I am sure I could manage without Neji for a single afternoon if you want company."

It was nice. Shikamaru still had not caught up with all his trees; how each one had grown and matured while the Oak had been in storage. Alone he could have been ambushed by unexpected emotions or distracted by stray thoughts. Instead he enjoyed being with the trees; Neji always knew when a touch or a word was needed to bring him back to reality.

He considered spending the second half of the afternoon in the onsen, but he wanted to speak to Haru.

The big litter were spilling out of the simulator room when he arrived. The kits were on a high and even Hoshi was chattering about how much fun piloting was.

His eyes searched out Haru. Would Haru prove to be merely adequate, like him, or would he have a talent for it, like Sasuke?

Haru's eyes were sparkling almost as much as Kazuki's; Shikamaru was glad.

Shikamaru waited at one side; if Haru did not notice him he would put off speaking to him until a better time. Gradually the children calmed down and went their separate ways in twos or threes. Once Kazuki had rushed off to the gym with Yoshimi, Yasushi and Keizo, Haru came over.

"I want to speak with you about Su-chan," Shikamaru admitted.

Haru's face fell. "Yes?" he queried, warily.

Shikamaru explained that Sumiko missed the games she had played with Sai. "I was thinking about some more challenging scenarios than the fairyland," he explained. "Perhaps some of the story scenarios your litter used to enjoy when you were younger."

"But including the Sai character," Haru checked.

"Yes, including Sai," Shikamaru confirmed; it was not like Haru to be so slow. "You could give me the code for the Sai character and I'll do it," he offered.

"No!" Haru squeaked. "No, it'll be fine," he continued in a more normal voice. "Why doesn't Su-chan pick some story scenarios and she and I can take it from there?"

Shikamaru was pleased that Haru was going to include Sumiko in the design, as he had the last time. "Thank you, Haru-chan. I appreciate it. I am sure that Su-chan will too."

He had half-hoped Haru would ask for an extra lesson or suggest a game of Go but he seemed set on studying. Shikamaru wandered through the playroom, not entirely sure what he was doing. Perhaps he was checking on Sumiko.

Naruto was in the oldest part of the playroom persuading the triplets, Shou and Nagato to tidy up. Shikamaru leaned on the wall and watched.

Suddenly a blond missile was running towards him. "Shi-chan! Shi-chan!"

He crouched down and caught Tsuneo in a hug. Shikamaru had no idea why Tsuneo called him Shi-chan. Other than Haru, none of the other children did.

"A story, Shi-chan. Please tell us a story," Tsu-chan pleaded.

Shikamaru guided him back to the others. "I think we have to finish tidying up first," he suggested.

Instead of sulking or arguing, Tsuneo rushed about tidying, encouraging the others to do likewise.

"Do you have time?" Naruto checked.

Shikamaru nodded. "Sasuke gave me the day off."

Naruto's eyes were anxious. His whiskers twitched.

"It was a bad night," Shikamaru confessed, "but it's been a good day."

* * *

.

* * *

**The next generation **(with ages relative to Sasuke)

Asuma and Kurenai  
Akemi (-12)  
Misora (-13)  
Keitaro (-15)

Izumo and Kotetsu  
Ayame (-18)

Iruka and Kakashi  
Ran [empath, adopted] (-16.5)

Sasuke & Naruto

_Big litter_ (-18)  
Kazuki [hybrid – clone of Naruto with epigenetic variation]  
Keizo [hybrid – clone of Naruto with epigenetic variation]  
Kuuya [hybrid – clone of Naruto with epigenetic variation]  
Yasushi [hybrid – clone of Naruto with epigenetic variation]  
Yoshimi [hybrid – clone of Naruto with epigenetic variation]  
Yuki [hybrid – clone of Naruto with epigenetic variation]  
Haru [full blood Uchiha – genetic parents Sasuke and Shikamaru]  
Hikaru [full blood Uchiha – genetic parent Sasuke, other chromosomes from various including Kakashi]  
Hoshi [full blood Uchiha – clone of Mikoto Uchiha]  
Ryuu [wolf-human hybrid, adopted]

_Small litter (or triplets)_ (-24)  
Takara [full blood Uchiha – genetic parents Sasuke and Naruto {using humanised versions of his chromosomes}]  
Teruko [full blood Uchiha – genetic parents Sasuke and Naruto {using humanised versions of his chromosomes}]  
Tsuneo [clone of Naruto {using humanised versions of his chromosomes}]

Hamaki, Terai and Fu  
Naomi [genetic parents Hamaki, Terai and Fu with one-third of chromosomes from each] (-23)

Haku, Kisame and Itachi  
Mai [genetic parents Haku {60%} and Itachi {40%} and not full blood Uchiha] (-23)  
Shou [genetic parents Haku and Kisame {using humanised versions of his chromosomes}] (-23.5)

Konan  
Nagato [genetic parents Konan and Pein] (-24.5)

Shikamaru and Neji  
Sumiko [genetic parents Shikaku and Yoshino but being raised by Shikamaru after their deaths] (-22)

* * *

.


	5. Reception

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to melissen, donalgraeme, danalexkayarimad, JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia and Phoenixewolf for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: the pod**

**5: Reception**

* * *

"Sumiko misses me?" Sai checked.

He sounded so hopeful. Haru increased the emotions Sai seemed to express from one to two; loneliness and hope. He also shelved the suggestion he had been going to make; it wasn't fair to ask Sai to make a 'character Sai' for the stories when he liked spending time with Sumiko and missed her.

"Yes. She's picked these three story scenarios." He pointed them out. "Do you need me to do anymore?"

There was the briefest of pauses. "No. I'll be ready when Sumiko joins the simulation."

Haru had an idea. "Could you make it so that the code you introduce looks like normal code?" he asked. "The kind of code I would write."

"No," Sai replied. "Your code is slow and inefficient."

Haru tried not to be insulted. "Sai, if Shi-chan even glances at the code he will know it isn't mine. He'll get excited and start asking questions."

There was a slightly longer pause. "I can make it so that it looks like yours but it will not be the real code."

"Dummy code?" Haru was delighted; it was a great idea. "Can you do that every time you write code for something?"

"Yes," Sai assured him.

Haru checked the time. Today they arrived at Haven and Iruka-sensei was holding a briefing. He must not be late.

"I have to go now," he warned. "I'll be back when I next get a chance but it may not be until this evening. We'll do some mathematics together."

"I like mathematics," Sai acknowledged. "It is more likely to be tomorrow. This evening you will be too tired and fall asleep. You do that when you have many new experiences in a short period."

Haru flushed. "You can always bother Ran."

"I can ask Ran if he will speak with me," Sai agreed. "Thank you for sorting out the sensors, speakers and projectors in Ran's room. Thank you for arranging for me to play with Sumiko."

Haru deserved credit for the first but not the second; he wasn't at all happy about Sumiko renewing her friendship with Sai.

"You are meant to say that I am welcome," Sai pointed out. "It is good manners when someone thanks you."

"Sorry, Sai, I was thinking. You are welcome."

He and Kazuki were the last to take their seats; Iruka-sensei raised a brow but didn't comment.

"Let's get started," he began. "Who can tell me something that makes Haven special? Ry-chan?"

"It is somewhere where hybrids and purebreds live together as equals."

"Very good. Yo-chan?"

"It's new for a space station. Uchiha helped found it after the exodus of hybrids from the Warren."

"Hi-chan?"

"It could be built so quickly because it's built out of modules. Nova Tech, the company that built it, has a factory ship that jumps into the system and produces the modules on site. Then they're assembled to make whatever is needed."

"Ho-chan?"

"Haven is part owned by Uchiha, part by Nova Tech and part by the citizens. To be a citizen you have to have lived there for three standards and have paid your tithe for that time. A tithe is where you give one tenth of your income into joint pot of credit that is used for the good of all the residents. One of the things that are special about this trip is that Uchiha is going to sell a quarter of its shares to the citizens. This will mean that the citizens will own over half the space station for the first time."

"Iruka-san, who owns Nova Tech?" Hikaru asked.

Haru suspected that Shi-chan owned Nova Tech, so he was interested in what Iruka-sensei would say.

"Nova Tech is owned by various shareholders, some of whom thought up the technology the company uses and some who run the company or are employed by it. The others are investors, who hope to share in the company's profits but will lose the credit they have invested if the company fails." Iruka-sensei smiled. "Now, why does Haven have a special relationship with Uchiha? Ka-chan?"

Kazuki was out of his chair. "The AHB had a plan to kill all the hybrids in the Warren but we stopped it. The hybrids asked To-chan because he is patron of the HDL and Papa decided Uchiha would help. Shika-san came up with a plan. We got there in time and we started evacuating the hybrids and then the AHB tried to stop us by invading the spacer quarter and Papa led the battle and To-chan fought better than ever before." Kazuki was suddenly still. "We saved the hybrids but Inoichi-san sacrificed his life to save thousands of evacuees who were trapped in a spur."

"He's a hero," Keizo added.

Inoichi-san had been one of Keizo's Witnesses.

"Yes, Inoichi-san is a hero," Iruka-sensei confirmed. "Thank you, Ka-chan. You can sit down now. How does the story relate to Haven? Ya-chan?"

"Haven was founded to be a home for the hybrids from the Warren," Yasushi answered.

"But they didn't all go to Haven," Kuuya added. "Some went to Sanctuary and some decided to stay at the Warren."

"And why was staying in the Warren possible?" Iruka-sensei asked. "Who hasn't spoken so far? Yu-chan?"

Haru knew he had not contributed. He thought about what he would say when Iruka-sensei came to him.

Yuki considered before he answered. "The purebred residents of the Warren got rid of the leaders who were anti-hybrid. They voted Shibito-san in as mayor and he made it so that hybrids in the Warren were people with rights."

"Good answer, Yu-chan. Ha-chan, what were the outcomes for Uchiha of involving itself with the Warren?"

Haru almost froze; the question was so huge. Then he realised that a small answer was better than not answering at all.

"It had a massive effect on Uchiha's reputation," he began. "Before the Warren Uchiha's reputation was in two parts. There was the old Uchiha reputation of being ruthless killers and there was the part that was based on Papa being the Last Uchiha and being in love with To-chan. Uchiha had got rid of the slavers from Kaze but Papa had decided to allow Temari-sama to take credit for that so only some people knew how much Uchiha had done.

"Then, after the Warren, Uchiha was seen as powerful and as the champion of the underdog." Haru looked at Iruka-sensei. How much did he want? Haru was always careful not to show off in front of his brothers and sister.

"Maybe two more points, Ha-chan," Iruka-sensei encouraged.

He shifted through the others. "It was by being involved in the Warren that we discovered that Orochimaru was still alive. It also caused Kotohime-san to break with Fuma, which led to her offering the technique to construct humanised chromosomes to hybrids, including To-chan and Kisame-san, which led to the triplets and Shou."

"Thank you, Ha-chan. We will now look at some of the media coverage. It will help you understand the decisions Sasuke-sama makes."

Haru had always known that Papa and To-chan were famous but watching the media coverage from Haven really brought it home. He had expected the upcoming share transfer from Uchiha to the citizens of Haven to be news. He wasn't surprised that the announcers were mentioning their arrival. What he hadn't anticipated was the blanket coverage, which included everything from pictures of Papa as a child to speculation about what he and the others would do when they were old enough.

There were reports from journalists who had been out interviewing people in the corridors and market places. Haru listened in stunned disbelief as yet another young female declared that he was her favourite. At least he wasn't the only one; only Hoshi was exempt.

Then there were the pictures of Papa and To-chan, which seemed to be everywhere, and images of Inoichi-san, which were mostly in ornate frames with little lights around them.

At least lots of the older hybrids interviewed said that To-chan was their role model and that he had changed the way they looked at themselves and other hybrids.

Haru could relate to that.

Finally, to emphasise the point he was making, Iruka-sensei showed them what had happened on Chanx when the crew had been attacked.

It was weird to see Papa and To-chan and Haku-san looking so young. It was terrifying how quickly the crowd had transformed into a panicking, violent mob.

Haru no longer thought Papa was being too cautious when he would not let them disembark at a space station or a planet.

Next on the day's tasks was going to the viewing deck where most of the crew were gathered; everyone who wasn't on duty was present, even Konan and Hana.

Haven was a disc with elegantly curved radiating spokes. Around it were many small dots. Haru watched them for a while. They were getting bigger; the ships were heading towards them.

It didn't make sense. Ships should be heading for one of the gates, not towards the ungated hole they had used. He looked towards Papa.

Papa knew what he was thinking without asking. "They want to escort us in," he explained. "It is their way of paying their respects."

Hikaru frowned. "How do we know they aren't going to attack us?" he asked.

"On balance it is unlikely," Papa answered, "but we need to stay alert. There could be enemies hiding among our friends and allies. That is why Kakashi-san and Shika-san are in the control room analysing the situation as it develops and Hamaki-san, Terai-san and Fu-san are on standby."

Haru imagined being in the control room watching the battle board. Perhaps he could ask Shi-chan to create a real time sim of it.

They watched as the ships came closer and changed course to take up their positions as escorts. The Oak continued on its course, decelerating gradually, until it came to a halt relative to the station.

Then, as they watched, lights rippled from the station's core to the ends of its spokes; blue, then red and then white.

Haven was declaring itself an ally to Uchiha.

Then everyone scattered to prepare for the reception.

It had been decided that having outsiders on the ship was less difficult that keeping the crew safe on the station. Shuttles carrying their guests were already heading for the most secure of the Oak's docking bays. From there the guests would walk along what looked like beautifully decorated corridors, but were actually scanners, to the largest of the reception rooms.

Haru wished he could be in the security suite examining the data from the scanners but he, like the rest of the big litter, were helping Choza-san.

This time Ran was attending the reception, as were Misora and Keitaro. Haru wasn't sure why but wondered if was something to do with Five, who was one of the guests.

Their guests were a mixture of people Papa and To-chan had worked with during the evacuation and important people from Haven. Some overlapped, like Kotohime-san and Sickler-san.

Sickler-san was currently Leading Citizen, which was an elected post like mayor was in the Warren.

Haru was set collecting empty cups while Kazuki and Ryuu walked about with trays of full ones. At least he was mingling with the guests; the rest of the litter were helping Choza-san set out tray after tray of tasties, which would be offered around after the speeches.

Leading Citizen Sickler looked just like Kamatari-san; they were much more alike than the kits.

Haru walked about with his tray. Some people abandoned their empty cups for him to pick up. Others put them on his tray. Most of the guests ignored him, treating him as they would to a crew's cat. A few nodded their thanks or smiled at him; he gave those a small bow as Kiba-san had instructed.

He had practised bowing without tipping his tray.

The dark haired woman talking to Rin-san was different.

"This must be Haru-chan," she declared.

Haru bowed.

"What a cutie," she added, which both annoyed Haru and made him blush.

"You are meant to ignore him, Kotohime-san," Rin-san pointed out.

Haru's mind exploded with questions he wanted to ask; Kotohime-san was the best hybrid engineer in known space. He clamped his mouth shut; he was under strict instructions not to converse.

Kotohime-san smiled. "You and I both know I am not very good at doing what I am meant to do. He isn't at all like Shikamaru-san," she observed.

"That's because he isn't allowed to talk," Rin-san replied. "You know where half his chromosomes came from as soon as he opens his mouth."

"Is that so?" Kotohime reached out and pushed some strands of hair away from his forehead.

Haru did not know what to do.

Then To-chan was there. "Kotohime-san."

She had no choice but to turn to him and bow. "Naruto-san."

Haru grabbed the opportunity to hurry away.

His tray was almost full, so he headed for the side room. He put the tray down and was handed another by Hoshi.

"Have you seen Five yet?" she asked. "What's he like?"

Haru shook his head but when he went back out he scanned the room.

Standing next to Haku-san, conversing with Misora, Keitaro and Ran, was a hybrid of about the correct age. He had furry, pointed ears and a long tail with alternative rings of light and dark grey.

He was definitely a cat hybrid. The way he stood reminded Haru of Yugito-san. It had to be Five.

Haru looked away. He couldn't be caught staring; Kiba-san would tell him off or, worse, Papa would be disappointed in him.

Next there were the speeches. Papa welcomed their guests and said stuff about how wonderful it was that Haven was doing so well. Sickler-san thanked Papa and Iruka-sensei for their hospitality and acknowledged that Haven wouldn't be doing so well without Uchiha's help.

Then it was back to collecting cups.

The kits and Ryuu were bringing out trays of filled cups or tasties. Hikaru and Hoshi were working as a pair. Ho-chan was offering guests small, warmed, damp towels on which to wipe their hands and Hikaru was collecting the used towels in a basket.

Haru managed to get a few more looks at Five before he finished collecting cups. His eyes were amazing. They were wide, slanted and outlined in dark grey. His irises were a pale, icy green.

The other thing that caught Haru's attention was the skin on his face and hands. His face, other than his lips and the underside of his nose, was covered with very short fur. Most of it was pale grey but there was a subtle pattern of lines on his forehead and cheeks. His hands were dark grey and fur-free on the palms and the underside of the fingers but the backs were covered with short, silvery-white fur.

Then, all at once, it was over. The guests had left and they were helping Choza-san to tidy up.

Five was the only topic of conversation. Apparently Papa had offered him the opportunity to try out as a member of the crew for the duration of their visit to Haven and Five had accepted.

"He's very handsome," Hoshi observed with a very un-Hoshi-like giggle.

Was Five good-looking? Haru thought about it and decided that Hoshi was probably right.

He was sitting in the galley with Haku-san when they brought the left-over food back to the crew room.

"Children, come and meet Five-kun," Haku-san instructed.

They put down the baskets they had been carrying and lined up.

Haku-san went through each of their names. Haru was between Kazuki and Kuuya. Both were bristling, although it was more obvious with Ka-chan because of his tail.

They bowed but Haru could see that Ka-chan had to force himself.

Five greeted them politely and then turned to Haku-san.

"IsRan-kun also a child?" he asked.

Haru stiffened. Why was Five asking about Ran? Was it linked to why Ran had attended the reception rather than helping Choza-san?

"For now," Haku-san confirmed.

And what did Haku-san mean by 'for now'?

Then Choza-san arrived and Five left with Haku-san. The leftover tasties were put out on the table alongside bread, cheese and fruit.

Serving all that food with no chance to have any had made even Haru hungry, so he wasn't surprised when Ryuu and the kits emptied all the plates within minutes. Choza-san merely smiled and added more bread and cheese.

"What was up with you when we were introduced to Five?" Haru asked Kazuki.

Ka-chan managed to fit in an answer between swallowing one mouthful and taking another. "Makes me want to growl," he admitted.

There were nods from the other kits and even Ryuu looked like he might be in agreement.

Choza-san sighed. "Kiba said that Five-kun being a cat hybrid might take a little getting used to."

Haru wondered if Kiba-san and To-chan felt the same as the kits and Ryuu.

After they had eaten they went to the playroom. Their usual duties had been cancelled for the day so had private study for the rest of the afternoon.

Haru wondered where Ran was. He couldn't stop thinking about what Five and Haku-san had said.

At least he would see him at the evemeal.

He was there but he wasn't in his usual place next to Haru; he was between Five and Kakashi-san.

Before they started eating, Papa did the waiting thing that told everyone he wanted to speak to them.

"On behalf of the crew, I would like to welcome Five. Five is staying with us for the duration of our stay at Haven. If everything works out, he will join Uchiha as a trainee before we leave."

There were some polite murmurs of greeting.

"I would also like to thank everyone for the time and effort they put into today. The reception was a great success and we had a very useful meeting with some key people afterwards." He gestured towards the food. "Let's eat before this wonderful food gets cold."

Haru didn't eat much. He wanted to talk to Ran but Ran was busy talking with Five. Worse Kakashi-san and Iruka-sensei were encouraging it.

"Perhaps Ran could show you some more of the ship after the meal," Kakashi-san suggested.

Haru's heart fell.

"That would be nice but I have another commitment," Ran replied. "Perhaps Misora-kun would like to show Five-kun around."

Misora pounced on the suggestion. "I would be happy to do that." She looked at Five hopefully.

"Maybe Keitaro-kun could accompany you," Iruka-sensei proposed.

Keitaro looked across at the sound of his name and soon they had sorted out that Misora and Keitaro would show Five one or two of the other levels.

Ran was waiting for him in the shared area. Kazuki rushed past, explaining that he was on his way to the zero gravity gym with Yasushi and Yoshimi.

Haru and Ran waved; they understood how much exercise the kits needed.

Ran slid open the door of his room and gestured Haru in.

"You've heard," he suggested.

Haru shook his head. He was still hoping that it wasn't as bad as he feared. "Only bits."

Ran sighed. "I told Ir-chan that you would guess. I wanted to talk to you first."

Haru waited, dreading what he was almost certain was coming.

"Ir-chan and Kashi-san want me to swear to Uchiha now if Five decides to stay. They say that having two trainees together will be better."

Haru wanted to scream no. It was a whole standard early. Instead of fifteen divs during which Ran went on without him, it would be two and a half standards.

He imagined Ran vanishing into the distance with Five.

"Keitaro and Misora are trainees," he pointed out. "It isn't like Five would be the only one."

Ran paused before replying. "It isn't just about Five. It's about me. I'm not like you. Studying something without doing it doesn't suit me. I'm marking time. I would do a lot better moving on to the trainee programme. I'm ready now."

Haru swallowed around the lump in his throat. He was holding Ran back. You didn't do that to your friends. You certainly didn't do it to someone you loved.

Ran wouldn't come to the playroom unless he had duty there. The sleepovers would have to stop; they would no longer be considered appropriate.

"Will I still be able to come to your room?" he asked.

Ran was studying him; Haru knew he was using his inside-eyes. "We'll make sure of it before I commit," Ran promised.

Haru nodded.

He wondered if Ran would be allowed to visit him and Kazuki in their room.

"You should do it," Haru told him, which was true. "I want you to," he added, which was not.

Ran closed the distance between them and hugged him. "You will always be my best friend, Haru. That is never going to change."

Haru wished he could believe that.

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	6. Haven

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to melissen, donalgraeme, danalexkayarimad, JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf and cynder81 for reviewing Leader.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 1: the pod**

**6: Haven**

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Shikamaru had found a new place to sit and think. It was on the viewing deck that faced Haven. If he moved one of the benches he could sit right against the transparent wall of the ship. It was a bit like being out among the stars.

He was proud of Haven. He considered it one of his greatest achievements.

It had taken standards of searching to find such a perfect system with exactly the right number of holes. Once gated, two of the holes linked it into a major trading route from the Inner to the Mid Fringe.

The station had been built between those two holes.

There were another two conventional holes further out in the system. They could be gated later but, for now, they could be used by ships with Mulligan drives. Importantly, they were the two holes people assumed Uchiha used.

The Oak, the Maple and the Dart actually used holes that could only be accessed by ships with improvers.

He wondered if improvers would ever be put into gates, like Mulligan drive technology. Was that one of the options Klenn had asked Garner to consider?

His attention went back to Haven's elegant, curved spokes. When he had discovered Nova Tech it had consisted of two youngsters with a great idea getting nowhere. They had almost given up on their dream because no one would lend them enough credit to make it a reality.

They had needed a factory ship with a Mulligan drive. Shikamaru had provided one. In return he, or rather one of his identities, became a partner in the new company.

Once they were a company with a ship worth petacredits, Nova Tech had no problem attracting investors and finding contracts.

But the most important step in founding Haven had been persuading Sasuke to agree that building a space station was the obvious solution to finding a home for the hybrids from the Warren.

Shikamaru smiled. Now when he suggested building a space station, Sasuke barely turned a hair. Uchiha had part ownership of twenty-six.

He, in various guises, was a major shareholder in two hundred and seventeen.

He found himself remembering the day he had told Sasuke that Uchiha was broke. It seemed a lifetime ago rather than only twelve standards. The payment Klenn had given them for the 'tasteful porno' had been enough for Shikamaru to begin rebuilding Uchiha's finances. Now Uchiha was as rich as its reputation suggested.

Shikamaru himself was so wealthy that the numbers had ceased to have meaning.

Integrating the information Klenn had left him had opened up thousands of opportunities. He had initiated hundreds of new projects. As usual, most of them were targeted at developing new technology or helping the oppressed.

Managing revolutions was particularly tricky. Starting them was easy, but without care they would end up in a bloodbath or with the people he had set out to help ending up worse off.

Shikamaru's version of a revolution was designed not to look like one without a century's hindsight: an invention here; a decision made there; a contribution to one politician rather than another; improved transport; an employer choosing to improve workers' rights.

Breaking the back of an oppressive dictatorship's power was much easier. Usually all that took were a few gates in the right places.

And upgrading gates so that they included a light speed data relay both improved the flow of information and made it much more difficult for pirates to operate.

"Shika?"

Shikamaru jumped. He had been deep in his mind, turning over thoughts like his mother had turned over the soil in her garden on Darrenden.

It was only Neji. He smiled. "Ne-chan."

Neji slid in beside him. Shikamaru leaned back against Neji's chest. Strong arms wrapped around him. Warm lips kissed his neck.

"Looking at your baby," Neji suggested.

Shikamaru felt himself colour. "People lead a better life there," he explained. "And it's beautiful."

"True," Neji conceded. "The Dart has docked with the Electron," he added. "They have transferred the pod."

Shikamaru was up and moving.

"Shika!" Neji complained.

"You shouldn't have told me if you wanted to cuddle," Shikamaru pointed out. "With the mini-gate string in place I can watch Itachi carrying out the tests."

The reality proved disappointing. He managed to get confirmation of most of his deductions but little new information. The pod did indeed date from the first century of Uchiha, over a thousand years before.

There was someone inside. The display suggested that he or she was alive. The mass difference between the occupied and an unoccupied pod of the same design suggested it was an adult.

Shikamaru was particularly proud of managing to find out the mass of that particular model of survival pod; he had searched the records of three hundred and ninety-five museums.

The issue was, as Kakashi had pointed out, that they did not know how long the occupant had been in stasis. Shikamaru itched to ask Itachi to connect to the pod's processor.

He resisted. Not that Itachi would do it. Sasuke had given a direct order. Fiddling with the controls might cause the pod to fail.

It would be opened in the Oak's infirmary, where Rin would be available to respond to the occupant's needs.

He brought Sasuke, Kakashi and Neji up to date at the next strategy meeting.

"I have a new faster route for the Dart to use," he concluded. "It will bring forward their arrival by six days. They would be here in three days time."

Kakashi took a sip of his tea. "It makes more sense for them to travel back along their route retrieving the mini-gates," he suggested. "Then they could follow our route here or wherever we are by then."

Shikamaru's mind processed the calculation. Instead of bringing forward their arrival by five days, Kakashi's proposal would delay it by nine. His heart fell.

"How many mini-gates would we have to leave out there if they used the new route?" Sasuke asked him.

"Four," Shikamaru admitted.

"Are they in useful locations?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru had to think about that. "Two are. The third could be retrieved relatively easily. The fourth would require a specific mission to collect it."

Sasuke considered. "It would be a low risk mission along an isolated route," he observed.

Shikamaru perked up. It would be an ideal mission for some of the big litter when they were trainees.

"Are we short of mini-gates?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Neji replied.

"Send Itachi and Kisame the new route," Sasuke ordered. "Do you need to do that now?"

"No. First jump is in common," Shikamaru assured him.

"How much extra mapping did you have to do to find this new route?" Kakashi asked.

Shikamaru felt himself flushing. "Quite a bit," he admitted. "Mapping is always useful," he argued.

"How long did it take you?" Kakashi pushed.

Shikamaru knew he was bright red. He hated reminding Kakashi about his peculiar abilities. "No time. I've worked out how to parallel think while I am doing it."

Kakashi was staring at him with that look Shikamaru hated; the one that asked, 'What are you?'

He stared at the table and considered the plastic from which it was made. It helped him not think about how Kakashi saw him.

"That's useful," Sasuke acknowledged. "Don't do it all the time, Shika. I am sure that it tires you out more than you realise." His voice was a little deeper and slightly richer than usual.

Shikamaru's gaze left the table. Sasuke was looking directly at him. The message was there for him to read, 'Nothing about you scares me. I accept you for what you are.'

It was one of the things that made Sasuke special.

"Let's move on," Sasuke continued. "Naruto's live video conference with the youngsters on the station went well. It was an excellent idea. Thank you, Neji."

"It only puts off the inevitable, Sasuke-sama," Neji warned. "In the end, he is going to insist on visiting the station and walking the corridors. We might as well start planning for it."

"I could forbid it," Sasuke argued.

Shikamaru just looked at him; all three of them did.

Sasuke sighed. "You're right. When and how?"

They soon had a plan that took advantage of the Dart's earlier arrival; Kisame was the best choice to accompany Naruto onto the station.

They moved on to discussing the next day's ceremony on the station; the one to mark the transfer of the shares from Uchiha to the citizens. The plan was to use the Sakura as a shuttle and board the station as close to the venue as possible.

Sickler had promised that only invited guests would be allowed into the secured area; other residents would be encouraged to gather in their neighbourhoods and watch the ceremony on large video screens.

They reviewed the timetable of events and made a few small changes.

"You'll think about it?" Kakashi asked Shikamaru. "In case we've missed something?"

Shikamaru nodded.

Then the meeting was over and Sasuke was off to eat his midday meal with the triplets.

Shikamaru was about to follow Neji out of the room when Kakashi spoke.

"Shika-kun?"

Shikamaru stopped but gestured that Neji should continue. "One of us better be there when Su-chan finishes her session," he pointed out.

Neji hesitated but complied.

Once they were alone, Kakashi apologised, "I thought you had been mapping rather than sleeping. I shouldn't have pushed so hard."

Shikamaru shrugged. He hadn't minded Kakashi pushing. It had been that look.

"I upset you," Kakashi observed. "But I have a feeling I don't know why."

"It doesn't bother you that Naruto is so fast or so strong," he said before he had made the decision to speak. Committed he pushed on. "It hurts when what I can do repels you," he admitted. "I wish you could accept it."

"Sometimes you still shock me," Kakashi admitted. "You are so good at the camouflage. I forget what you are and what you can do."

"I am here because of you," Shikamaru reminded him.

"You are here because of me," Kakashi agreed. "My typed-seven genius who would recreate Uchiha. Which you have done magnificently."

Shikamaru felt himself going red again, but this time he did not mind.

"I have a suggestion," Kakashi added. "Teach Haru what you can about mapping links. Sasuke managed to master bits of it. Haru should be even better. Perhaps he will be able to bridge the gap between what the route finder does and what you do."

Shikamaru doubted that Haru could think like him but maybe he could improve on the route finder. Haru was already a better programmer than him. It was the thinking in patterns thing.

His mind kept turning over the idea while he ate the midday meal with Sumiko and Neji. Sumiko had enjoyed her morning. Iruka had put them in pairs to build a tower and she had worked with Mai. They had been given the least suitable materials but had still built the highest tower.

Shikamaru admired the vid of the tower and thought about how to teach Haru about finding holes.

"What are you going to be doing this afternoon, Su-chan?" Neji asked.

"We have gym," Sumiko grumbled. "Then I'm going to play with Sai," she added and smiled. "I have lots of simulator time saved up and Iruka-sensei has agreed."

Shikamaru liked to see her smile. "You have fun, Su-chan," he encouraged.

With Sumiko occupied, it was the ideal time to work with Haru.

"You want Haru for the whole afternoon?" Iruka queried. "He would have to be released from his duty."

Shikamaru thought about it. "I think we'll need the time."

Iruka considered and nodded. "It's only cleaning. He can make it up. I confess I am worried about him. Ran has told him that he's going to take early promotion to trainee."

Shikamaru had not known that.

Despite having been thinking about it since Kakashi had made the suggestion, Shikamaru had no idea where to begin. He had never had any success explaining it to anyone else. Even Klenn had glazed over and admitted defeat.

His half of the office was still being remodelled, so they started in Haru's usual bay in the playroom.

"Mapping links between holes?" Haru queried.

At least he sounded interested. "Yes. We have the best database ever showing the locations of sub-optimal holes in known space." Shikamaru began and then paused, thinking.

"But it's useless if you can't work out which hole links with which across subspace," Haru volunteered.

"Exactly," Shikamaru agreed. "So the conventional way is to jump through the hole, take astronomical measurements and work out where you are. There are a number of possibilities..." he indicated that Haru should list them.

Haru began counting them off on his fingers. "One, you recognise the system and you've found a new route. Two, you find a system but no one has been there before, so you've expanded known space. Three, you aren't in a system, which is unlikely but happens. Four, you are really unlucky and something destroys your ship before you find out where you are."

"It's slow and it's boring and it's dangerous," Shikamaru added. "It is much better to work out which holes were linked without going through one of them."

"Which is what you can do," Haru stated with confidence.

"Which is what I can do," Shikamaru agreed. "Only I'm not sure how so I can't explain it to someone else."

"Papa worked out how to do the last step," Haru pointed out. "He can pick out the one real link from a hundred suggested links. Now the route finder does what Papa did."

It sounded so easy and straightforward when Haru talked about it.

"We need to work out how you come up with the potential links," Haru told him. "Then we can expand the route finder programme to do that too."

Shikamaru had not expected Haru to take the initiative.

"It has to be about comparing data sets." Haru insisted and frowned. "You probably use other data, not just from the two systems that may be linked. What about looking at the systems that are linked to those two systems? Is that a sensible starting point?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Klenn tried that."

Haru did not seem dissuaded. If anything, he was encouraged that his starting point was the same as Klenn's. "Klenn-sensei probably exhausted that possibility," he suggested.

"He went as far as incorporating data from systems up to five jumps away from the suggested link."

"In a matched pair analysis?" Haru checked.

"Yes."

"Then either you are seeing patterns in the data that no one else sees or you are using other data without realising it," Haru insisted. "Have you got Klenn-sensei's five system level matched pair analysis?"

Shikamaru nodded. So much for teaching Haru; instead he had become Haru's latest puzzle to solve. "Yes, but you may need more processing power than you have," he warned.

"The processors Klenn-sensei built into my data array's interface are awesome," Haru reminded him. "But I'll ask if it's a problem. There is something else I need you to do."

Shikamaru waited.

"Look for potential links while in a simulator so what you do can be recorded. There may be a clue, maybe in the way you interact with the data."

It was an interesting idea; even the slightest hint might be enough to point them in the correct direction.

Shikamaru spent the rest of the afternoon in a simulator scanning the data for potential linked holes.

Next day was all about the ceremony on the station. Shikamaru settled into his chair in the control room of the Oak. Neji was already at his console.

Shikamaru's hands automatically checked the setting of each control. He activated the projectors, one of which was already relaying images from the assembly room where the ceremony would be held.

The guests were already gathering. Kotohime, Denka and Hina had arrived. Roshi and Yugito were there to represent the HDL. Tonton was standing next to Ebisu and Chamu.

Sickler, as Leading Citizen, was greeting people as they arrived.

Then, suddenly, the scale of everything changed as Han came through the door.

He was alone. Shikamaru glanced across at Neji but saw none of the tiny clues that would indicate that he was concerned.

Han acknowledge Sickler's greeting and moved towards Kotohime's group. Shikamaru saw Denka and Hina melt away. Kotohime merely looked up at Han and smiled.

He did not smile back but he did stay there, at Kotohime's side.

Shikamaru had reviewed Kakashi's plan and found nothing amiss. The only potential problem was that they were spread rather thinly. They would have parties on the Oak, the Sakura and in Haven. Itachi and Kisame were still on the Dart.

Maybe they had left too many people in Tarrasade.

The plan trusted in the Oak's new inbuilt defences; the web of tubing across its surface that Inryoku had designed. To outside eyes it looked like a photosynthetic energy harvesting device.

It was, but it was also a remarkably sensitive sensor net and, although Shikamaru hoped it was never needed, a weapon.

Of those left on the Oak, only he and Neji were on duty. That left everyone else free to gather in the playroom and watch a live projection of the ceremony.

Tatsuji, Hamaki, Terai and Fu would stay on the Sakara throughout. They were the first line of defence if there was an attack from outside the station.

Kakashi, Sumaru and Dan were accompanying Sasuke and Naruto onto the station. Five was with them but as a citizen of Haven rather than a potential trainee.

The general opinion was that Five made the grade. Like the rest of the crew, Shikamaru trusted Kakashi's judgement. Misora and Keitaro obviously liked him. He watched a lot and said little, which was wise as a newcomer.

The canine-human hybrid members of the crew were slowly getting used to the way he smelled.

He was very pretty. Shikamaru had caught himself wondering what it would be like to stroke that gorgeous, silky fur and if he was thinking it so was everyone else other than Naruto.

Shikamaru suspected that anyone trying it without permission would end up in the infirmary. Five had retractable claws instead of fingernails.

Everything went completely to plan. Sasuke did a great job of the speech. Naruto went around afterwards speaking to the invited citizens, leaving a trail of shiny-eyed, besotted hybrids in his wake. Shikamaru saw even Han smile.

"Good?" he checked with Neji.

"Very good," Neji confirmed.

The rest of the crew and Five were soon back on the Oak. Shikamaru and Neji handed over to Terai and Tatsuji, who were on watch.

Once released, they went to the playroom, where Sumiko gave them a blow by blow account of the ceremony. Shikamaru relaxed into it, enjoying experiencing everything again through Sumiko's unique point of view.

As Sumiko wound down he saw Haru glancing at him from his position beside Ran; waiting for him to become available.

"I think I've got something," Haru announced without preamble.

Shikamaru was lost for a moment. Then he realised that Haru was talking about finding potential links. "Already?" he queried. It was less than a day. He and Klenn had battled with the problem for almost a decade. They had never reached the point of 'having something'.

Maybe Haru meant a new approach rather than a solution.

"Come see," Haru suggested. "We'll use the simulators. It's easier to show someone else that way."

Haru started explaining what he had done. He had begun by going back to the raw data.

The data Klenn had used had been scrubbed, removing the background noise. Instead of using a standard algorithm, Haru had scrubbed each data set separately, using the characteristics of that particular system.

Shikamaru could see the value in that. The data would be richer. Smaller perturbations would be preserved.

He had then used a battery of mathematical operations to extract tiny inconsistencies in the data and looked for patterns within those inconsistencies.

Shikamaru did not recognise two-thirds of the functions.

He had run sixty-four versions of Klenn's matched pair analysis, each using the improved data but based on a different combination of operations.

Shikamaru wondered how he had decided on some combinations but not others. Was it his knowledge of mathematics? Or insights into how a typed-seven mind operated?

Then the results came up. Shikamaru's whole mind froze. One of the combinations had worked. It had generated all the potential links Shikamaru had identified plus some more.

"You did it," he whispered.

"Yes," Haru agreed. "You don't even have to go to five levels. You get the same results with three. Can we test it out on some other data?"

"Soon," Shikamaru promised. He still wasn't over the shock. One day? Haru had done it in one day?

"Please," Haru asked. "I want to tell Papa but I want to make sure it works first."

Shikamaru made the necessary connections and called up the data he had used over the last div.

"This is the raw data?" Haru checked.

"Yes," Shikamaru confirmed.

Once the data had been loaded it took less than a minute; forty-seven seconds to be precise. Out came the list of potential links; Shikamaru recognised most of them. Then they put them into the route finder.

That took a longer, because they were using standard processors, but within five minutes they had a list of the routes that Shikamaru had found plus one other.

Haru gave a whoop of joy that could be heard for real as well as through the simulator interface. He vanished from the simulation.

He was dancing about the simulator room in his underpants by the time Shikamaru had disengaged and climbed out of his simulator. There was an audience gathering in the doorway.

Shikamaru went over to the intercom.

"_Shikamaru here. Haru has something very important to tell his Papa." _He released the switch and turned to Haru. "Clothes," he reminded Haru as he pulled on his pants and pushed his feet into his sandals.

Haru had his top and pants on and was pulling on his shoes by the time Sasuke answered. _"This is Sasuke. I am in my office. Should Haru's To-chan be here?"_

Shikamaru looked at Haru who nodded. "You too, Shi-chan," he insisted.

"_Shikamaru here. Yes please. We are on our way."_

Sasuke and Naruto were still wearing their uniforms.

"We did it, Papa!" Haru announced as soon as they were through the door.

"Haru did it," Shikamaru clarified.

"Did what, sweetie?" Naruto asked and even Sasuke looked blank.

Shikamaru realised that they did not know what Haru had been trying to do, which was hardly surprising since he had only been working on it for a day.

"He's come up with a swift, accurate and working method for getting from raw data to new hole-to-hole links," Shikamaru explained. He wanted Naruto to understand. "You no longer need me to do it," he added.

Sasuke reacted perfectly. He was out of his chair and gathering Haru into a congratulatory embrace. "That's amazing, Ha-chan. Well done. It will make a huge difference to the way we operate. How long did it take you? You must show me."

"It took him less than a day," Shikamaru informed them.

Even Sasuke was shocked but luckily Haru was too close to him to see it.

"Is this as amazing as I am thinking it is?" Naruto mouthed.

Shikamaru widened his eyes and nodded vigorously.

Naruto plucked Haru from Sasuke's slackening grasp for a second hug.

"I used all the work Klenn-sensei had done," Haru explained once the four of them were sitting down.

"Klenn and I had worked on it for a decade and got nowhere," Shikamaru clarified.

"I have the awesome processors Klenn-sensei gave me," Haru added.

"It requires mathematical operations I have never encountered," Shikamaru added. He was determined that Haru would not make light of it; it was an incredible piece of work. Sasuke needed to understand how incredible.

Haru flushed. "I like mathematics," he admitted.

"We know you do Haru-chan," Naruto acknowledged. "But there is a big difference between being good at mathematics and applying exactly the right bit in a new situation."

Shikamaru smiled; trust Na-chan to understand the essence of it. "Haru also went back to the raw data. A real engineer's solution."

Haru flushed. "Izumo-san always says to do that when you're stuck."

Sasuke looked Haru directly in the eyes. "I am always proud of you, Haru, but this is an amazing achievement. It will change how we operate. It will make crews using improvers safer."

It would radically change the topology of known space, but Shikamaru doubted that mattered to Haru as much as keeping the crew safe and making his Papa proud.

* * *

.


	7. Opening

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to melissen, danalexkayarimad, JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, cynder81, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme and mikako17 for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: the pod**

**7: Opening**

* * *

Sasuke plucked the last note and listened to it fading. Reluctantly, he returned the biwa to its case and the case to its place on the shelf. Then he put the kettle on and waited for it to boil.

Naruto had been correct; he had needed to make the time to play. It was as important to him as exercise; perhaps more. Maybe not as important as fucking, but close.

He felt better; calmer and more focused.

The indicator light on the door to Neji's office was green. Sasuke imagined him on the other side, waiting for Sasuke to change his from amber to green now that the music had stopped.

He would have to wait until Sasuke had recovered from being submerged in the music. Making and drinking a cup of tea was usually enough.

Deciding to tour in the Oak had been about getting Shika over Klennethon Darrent's death. Sasuke had imagined life continuing as it had in Tarrasade with the added stimulation of travel.

He realised now how naive he had been. Wherever they went, there would be people who wanted to see them and others whom it made sense to meet.

Each event had been successful. The reception on the Oak had gone smoothly. The ceremony in Haven had been an important landmark. Five was as impressive as Kakashi had said he would be. Sasuke had even managed to shoehorn in rendezvous with two allied crews.

The problem was that each meeting had required far more planning and follow-up than anticipated. Every day his 'to do' list got longer because each available minute was spent dealing with today or tomorrow.

Papa-time had been suspended. The last time he had walked the ship had been days before they had arrived at Haven. He was lucky to make the triplets' bedtime and the occasional midmeal.

He had barely touched his biwa other than during Hoshi's music lessons and there had been pitifully few of them.

Playing his biwa had reset him. Instead of being overwhelmed with the immediate, he found himself considering what was most important to him; his children.

Raising thirteen children took time, attention and a vast amount of energy. The big litter was at the age when they were changing very quickly. The quality of his relationship with them as adults depended on him successfully navigating their adolescence.

Like Haru; one minute he was a little boy who was scared of losing his best friend and the next he had rewritten the topology of known space.

It had been a shock. Sasuke was thankful for all the times Shika had confessed to doing the impossible. It had built up his resilience.

Sasuke smiled; Haru had no idea of what he had done. For him it was merely writing a programme that did what Shi-chan did. He had not considered that typed-seven geniuses were so rare that Shika might be unique, while processors were common.

He sighed. It was time to deal with today. The Dart was already in the system and would reach them early that afternoon. Sasuke hoped that Kakashi was right and the pod contained a spacer from a ship equipped from junkyards. He did not want to think about the alternative.

He went to his desk, wrote his list for the day and changed the indicator light on Neji's side of the door from amber to green.

He expected Neji to wait a few minutes and then open the door. When that did not happen, Sasuke decided to take the initiative.

Neji was standing with his back to the door watching Shikamaru try out his new desk.

Shikamaru spun the chair about. "We have a visitor, Ne-chan," he hinted.

Neji turned around. "I apologise, Sasuke-sama."

"No need," Sasuke assured him. "He prefers this?"

"I prefer this," Shikamaru confirmed. "I can reach everything." He turned his chair while reaching across the circular desk surrounding it. "And the drawers go transparent when I need to find something." He demonstrated. "And look at the projectors. It's as good as a sim."

It was good to see Shika happy. "One of Kakashi-sensei's better ideas," Sasuke suggested.

"An excellent idea," Shikamaru confirmed. "He should have more of them."

"Shall we go into your office?" Neji suggested.

They settled on either side of Sasuke's desk and began running through all Sasuke's commitments during the last four days of their stay at Haven.

"We could stay longer," Neji reminded him. "Spread them out more."

Sasuke considered. "No. If we stay longer here, we'll have to push harder to get to Kaze on time. It will be fine. Once the meetings are in, what else is there?"

"Five-kun," Neji reminded him.

Neji was right. Five deserved time to make his mind up once Sasuke formally invited him to join the crew. "I had better see Iruka-sensei next then."

He should have thought ahead and made an appointment. Iruka was head of his household and queen of his crew. It would be disrespectful to summon him using the intercom, however politely Sasuke phrased it.

"I'll see if he is available," Neji offered. "I can cover for him in the playroom if necessary."

Sasuke made tea for two while he waited; he could always share it with Neji if Iruka was not available.

The door announcer sounded, which confirmed that it was Iruka as Neji would have come through from next door.

"Five-kun," Sasuke stated as they settled into two of the comfortable chairs.

Iruka sipped his tea. "I have no hesitation in recommending that you make the offer. I know that everyone else thinks the same. I wish I were certain he would accept."

That was a surprise. Sasuke gestured that he should continue.

"He misses his group. They worked together, played together, ate together and slept together. Living in his own room, even within a crew room, is difficult for him."

Sasuke remembered the forced intimacy of the Silver Leaf's crew room. He had hated it and yearned for his own space, but he could see that it might suit Five better than the way the crew lived now. "Would he be better off with one of the senior allied crews?" he asked.

"No, but you could offer him that as another alternative to staying on Haven," Iruka suggested. He smiled. "I am glad Kakashi cannot hear me say that."

Sasuke understood; Kakashi would consider it a failure if Five did not swear to Uchiha. "I'll do my best to sell us to him," he promised. "Is there any reason we should delay any longer?"

"No," Iruka assured him. He stood up. "I shall go next door and admire Shika-kun's new desk. Then I shall tell Five-kun you wish to speak with him."

Five bowed and settled into the chair Sasuke indicated. Sasuke took the chair opposite him.

"I am going to invite you to swear to Uchiha," Sasuke warned him, "but I do not want your answer yet. I would like you to listen to what I have to say and then think carefully over the next two days before giving me your answer."

Five considered and then nodded.

"Those who are sworn to Uchiha came to be so by a variety of routes. I was born to it. Many of the older crew members were given to Uchiha as babies or children, which was the way of the old Uchiha. Some are members because their parents or guardians asked me to make a place for them. A few, like Naruto and Haku, were reparations from crews who had challenged us and were defeated. Some arrived because their whole crew joined Uchiha.

"A small number were recruited because they were thought to have outstanding potential. The first was Iruka-san. He was followed by Shikamaru-san. The third was Naruto-san, who may have come to us by fluke but was kept despite common sense saying that a berserker was too dangerous to have as crew. The fourth was Inari-san.

"You are the fifth. Kakashi-san picked you out when he first met you. We have kept an eye on you since. We see you as a future leader, like Inari-san.

"We understand that you will struggle to adapt to being part of our crew. Many of us did, including me.

"I know it is a huge decision. I want you to know that there is no doubt in my mind that you belong with us, as a member of this crew."

Sasuke paused, giving time for what he had said to soak in, and then spoke again. "Do you have any questions?"

"I can ask Iruka-san," Five suggested.

"Yes, or you can ask me," Sasuke encouraged.

"Your children," Five began.

Sasuke tried not to stiffen.

"Will they automatically be given senior positions as adults?" Five asked. "You said you saw me as a future leader, but will I always have to defer to them?"

It was a good question, especially since there were thirteen of them. "No. They will have to earn any position of responsibility. However, they have high potential and standards of training. I expect them to do well."

Five suddenly gave a smile that lit up his whole face. "But aspiring to be Uchiha-sama would be pointless."

Sasuke liked the youngster's cheek. He resisted the urge to laugh. "I do not think that even new Uchiha is ready for an Uchiha-sama who is not an Uchiha," he admitted. "But you could captain a crew, or be a battle commander, or even lead a division as we expand."

"Or parent a future Uchiha-sama, like Naruto-san?" Five queried.

The urge to laugh vaporised. "If one of my children chose you as their life-partner," Sasuke confirmed, although the mere thought of it sent every parental instinct into overdrive. "When they are old enough. Which will not be for some time," he warned.

"The fourteen standard age of consent would apply to me despite me being a hybrid?" Five checked.

Sasuke almost said yes. It seemed the easiest solution. Then he remembered Kiba pointing out that it would be like imposing an age of consent of eighteen on a purebred. "For the moment. I am consulting with Iruka-san on the matter. Have you any other questions?"

"No, Uchiha-sama," Five replied.

"Very well." He stood and Five followed his example. "Five-kun, I am formally inviting you to swear to Uchiha. I shall expect your answer in two days' time."

Five bowed, Sasuke inclined his head in return and then he walked Five to the door. It had gone well. He was almost certain Five would decide in their favour.

There was just enough time to read another report before going to the playroom to catch the end of the big litter's session with Kakashi.

Then, after the midmeal, they would rendezvous with the Dart.

Sasuke had imagined that the Dart would dock, the pod would be transferred to the infirmary, it would be opened and the mystery of who was in it would be resolved.

Instead he was listening to Itachi and Rin argue. Itachi did not care about the welfare of the person in the pod; he was obsessed that it might be a trick to get an assassin or a bomber onto the Oak. Rin was blind to the security issues; she wanted the pod opened in the infirmary so she could save the occupant's life if he or she was dying.

"I am almost certain it does not contain explosives," Shikamaru pointed out. "It's much more likely to be a biotoxin than explosives."

Sasuke had not wanted to hear that.

"So the infirmary is the best place, because the pod can be opened under biosecured containment," Shikamaru continued.

There was silence. Sasuke waited. Kakashi nodded. Itachi nodded.

"Good," Sasuke confirmed. "Kisame can be there. He can deal with any assassin. Rin-san, you will monitor the situation from your office. Dan-san will be the senior medico inside."

Rin opened her mouth to object but Sasuke fixed her with his best 'Uchiha-sama' look.

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," she agreed.

For once he was pleased that Rin believed in being prepared for any medical emergency. They had a containment room with all the cameras and other sensors one could possibly wish for. They had biosecured suits for the medicos to wear. They even had a suit big enough for Kisame.

They had decided to watch live from the small meeting room. Sasuke settled into his chair between Shika and Neji. Kakashi sat next to Shika, which was interesting. Itachi had insisted on being in Rin's office.

Shika activated his interface and switched on the projector and speakers.

"Interesting idea, having Itachi and Rin together while Kisame and Dan are endangering their lives a few rooms away," Kakashi observed.

Sasuke winced at the thought of it. "Maybe I should have ordered Itachi to be here with us," he admitted.

"Too late now," Kakashi replied brightly. "Here goes."

Dan approached the pod and began following the instructions Shikamaru had given him. Nothing unexpected happened. He reported that the person inside was coming out of stasis. Neither Rin nor Shikamaru saw anything untoward in the telemetry.

"_Dan here. Sasuke-sama, shall I open the pod?"_

Sasuke activated his microphone. "This is Sasuke. Yes, open the pod."

Sasuke's first thought, as the lid opened, was, "He's an Uchiha."

"Yes," Kakashi replied and Sasuke realised that he must have spoken his thought aloud.

"By the Lady, Sasuke, he looks more like you than Hikaru looks like Haru," Shikamaru whispered.

Sasuke's mind was whirling. Who was he?

"_He's waking up,"_ Dan warned.

Sasuke was about to order Dan to sedate him but it was already too late.

The man's eyes opened. They were dark. He sat up. His hair was long; really long. Sasuke remembered his mother telling him that hair grew in stasis but only very, very slowly.

Sasuke braced himself for some Uchiha-like demands. Top of his list were, 'Which ship is this?' and 'Take me to your captain.'

Instead there was a squeak. The man covered his face with his hands. His fingernails were bizarrely long and curved. He separated two of the fingers covering his right eye and peered at Dan.

Then the fingers snapped back together, closing the gap.

He giggled.

Sasuke froze. Adult Uchihas did not giggle. They certainly did not squeak.

"_Sasuke-sama?"_ Dan's voice hinted from the speaker.

He pulled himself together. "This is Sasuke. You had better sedate him."

Even before he finished speaking, the man was out of the pod. He was naked. From what Sasuke could see, which wasn't much because of his hair, he was Itachi's build but maybe a little taller. His skin was strange; flaky. The huge bush of his hair trailed down to his calves.

He looked exactly as you would expect if someone had been in a pod for... ...centuries?

He was quick, managing to dodge Dan with another giggle.

Then Kisame had him, Dan had pressed a hypospray against his thigh and he collapsed.

Kisame carried him to the treatment bed beside the pod.

Shikamaru was leaning forward, studying the projection. "Shikamaru here. We need to preserve everything. Every hair and every flake of skin. Rin, you must carry out every test you can think of before removing him from containment. And decontaminate every piece of equipment you take in there from now on."

Sasuke had not seen Shikamaru so urgent in a long time, if ever. "This is Sasuke. Do what Shika-san is suggesting, Rin-san."

There was a sniff from the speakers. "_This is Rin. Acknowledged. I did recognise Shikamaru-san in typed-seven mode, Sasuke-sama."_

Sasuke deactivated his microphone and signalled the others to do the same.

"We have to be absolutely sure he is what he appears to be," Shikamaru insisted.

"Which is?" Sasuke queried, although he already knew the answer.

"An Uchiha who has been in that pod since the time that model of pod was in service," Shikamaru clarified.

A small thought weaved through Sasuke's mind. Shikamaru had said that the pod was from the time of the first or second generation of Uchiha, perhaps the third at the outside.

There had not been many Uchihas then.

"How good are the early records?" Kakashi asked, confirming that he was thinking along the same lines.

"I think the genealogy is sound," Sasuke admitted. "We've always been particular about that type of thing." He reactivated his microphone temporarily. "This is Sasuke. Get a sample and run a genetic profile."

"_This is Rin. Understood, Sasuke-sama."_

"Maybe some who were genetically Uchiha do not appear in the genealogy," Neji suggested. "Perhaps those born without the clan leader's permission. Or maybe an individual with a mental defect that could not be cured."

It was an interesting idea. In his father's time such individuals would be killed. Maybe the early clan leaders had been more like him than his father. Izuna Uchiha had the reputation of being a compassionate leader; maybe his successors had modelled their behaviour on him.

"No," Shikamaru stated. He gestured towards the projection. "No unrecognised Uchiha would be wearing that ring."

Sasuke looked. On the man's duty finger was a ring bearing the Uchiha crest. Beside it, on his heart finger, was a simple gold band.

"I will dig out the earliest records I can find," Shikamaru assured him.

"Do that," Sasuke confirmed.

"Do you have access to the records stored in Izuna Uchiha's desk?" Kakashi asked.

Shino and Shikamaru had downloaded all the available data. "Yes," Sasuke answered. "I shall check them. Shika-san, I am leaving it in your hands. Please liaise with Rin-san." He reactivated his microphone. "This is Sasuke. He stays unconscious until I give the order otherwise."

Sasuke made his way from the small meeting room to his office. By the time he reached it, Naruto was there, leaning against the corridor wall.

"News travels fast," he observed. "Aren't you meant to be in the playroom?"

"Iruka-sensei is covering. If you want to be alone..."

Sasuke shook his head. He yearned for Naruto's warmth.

Naruto's arms were around him as soon as they were inside with the door closed. Sasuke leaned into his strength.

"I don't know which would be worse," Sasuke admitted. "If he is genuine or if it is a trick."

"Shi-chan will be able to tell," Naruto assured him.

"Will he? We missed it when Ranmaru's head was swapped," Sasuke reminded him.

"Which will make Shi-chan even more suspicious," Naruto insisted. "What if it is genuine, who could he be?"

Sasuke went to his desk, sat down and pulled out a sheet of paper. Naruto perched on the edge, watching him.

He uncapped his pen and began drawing out a genealogy from memory. He started with the two brothers, Izuna and Madara, writing them side by side.

"What about a generation back from that?" Naruto suggested. "Did they share a father? Were there any uncles?"

It was a good thought. Sasuke was pretty sure Izuna and Madara had shared both their father and their mother. He had no clue about uncles. He had a vague memory of them being raised by a grandmother.

"I do not recall any mention of a father or uncles, but I shall check," Sasuke replied.

Madara had died without children. Sasuke carefully filled in Izuna's sons and daughter before adding the next generation. "Shika said third generation at a push," he explained.

"And you can account for each one of the males?" Naruto asked, pointing to the ones Sasuke had named.

He couldn't. Uchiha were spacers and many spacers died when their ships were lost or destroyed. He thought about each individual in turn and crossed those who had been killed in hand-to-hand combat or assassinated or, in one case, died of old age in his bed. There were six remaining including Izuna, Madara and one of Izuna's sons.

A memory surfaced. "I am sure that they retrieved Madara's body," Sasuke decided. "They displayed it in the hall, because he had been a traitor."

He added a cross by Madara's name.

That left five Uchiha males.

* * *

.


	8. Anticipation

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, cynder81, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, mikako17, melissen, danalexkayarimad and Drago Imperiali for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by oo******oo**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: the pod**

**8: Anticipation**

* * *

Haru knew that everyone would be keeping an eye on him. He scowled into the mirror as he checked his hair. What did they expect him to do? Fling himself at Ran and beg him not to take the oath?

He pulled his jacket straight and practised his approving smile. Not that it would convince Ran; Ran knew him too well to be fooled, even when he wasn't close enough to feel Haru's emotions.

Sai's voice came over his earpiece. "I wish I could be there."

"Sorry, Sai. You know how it is. No microphones or cameras when it's a ceremony or formal event."

"Will everything be different now?" Sai asked. "Will you and Kazuki no longer go to Ran's room? Will the four of us no longer hang out? Will it be like when Sumiko did not want her fairyland?"

Haru had to stop himself telling Sai to shut up. Sai didn't mean to upset him. "Ran has promised we can still hang out in his room," he replied.

"Will Five be there?" Sai asked. "I am not allowed to speak if Five is there."

"No, Five won't be there," Haru replied. He hoped that was true. "I have to go now, Sai," he warned. He took out the earpiece, unstuck the tiny microphone from his throat and put both on his desk.

The children were gathering in the playroom before walking to the Hall. Hoshi and Ayame were talking about Five and giggling. Secretly Haru was glad. Maybe Five only liked females, like Kamatari.

Then Yuki joined them and was just as bad. Haru's mood darkened again. Maybe Five was bisexual. Maybe he would only like males. Either way, how could he not want Ran?

And how could Ran not fancy Five? He was gorgeous with his plushie skin and his confident swagger.

He was even nice. Haru had hoped he wouldn't be nice.

Hikaru was talking to Ryuu and Kuuya about the man in the pod. Haru decided to join them. It would be better than listening to the girls and Yuki cooing over Five.

"He'd grown a full head of hair three times over," Kuu-chan was saying. "And his fingernails and toenails were all long and curled over."

"No beard though," Hikaru pointed out.

Haru knew the significance of that. Full-blood Uchihas didn't grown facial hair; just eyebrows and eyelashes.

"Do you think he's been in the pod for thousands of standards, Ha-chan?" Ryuu asked.

"Not thousands," Haru replied. "Almost one thousand. It looks that way," he admitted. "Either he has or someone wants us to think he has."

"How can we tell the difference?" Ryuu asked.

Haru found himself talking about isotope decay patterns, cosmic ray damage and trace element analysis. Ryuu and Kuuya were interested, they kept asking questions, but Hikaru's expression was souring more with every minute.

Hi-chan hadn't got over Haru making the route finder work properly. He, like everyone else, had decided that it meant that Haru was a typed-five genius rather than only having typed-five traits.

Only Haru knew it didn't, because he had not done it on his own. Sai had helped him. That hadn't mattered when it had just been solving a problem for Shi-chan.

It did now that it had changed the way people saw him.

Ran and Kazuki insisted that it was fine. It had been Haru's idea to change the way the data was scrubbed and his suggestion that they find mathematical operations that mimicked the way typed-seven geniuses thought. He had thought of using the simulator to determine what data Shi-chan looked at and in which order.

But it had been Sai who had come up with the information and processes needed to make those ideas work. He had spread them all out; a wonderful, rich, varied display for Haru to choose from. What would have taken Haru divs, possibly standards, had taken Sai minutes.

The only time-consuming part had been creating a version in ordinary code rather than Sai code. By that time Haru had told Shi-chan, Papa and To-chan, so he had to produce something that looked normal and would run on ordinary processors.

He was a much better programmer by the time he finished.

"So what happens if he's real?" Kuuya asked. "He'll be older than Papa."

"It's not the oldest Uchiha who is Uchiha-sama," Hikaru replied. "It is the one that is chosen as leader. Papa was chosen as leader."

"Papa was the only Uchiha left," Haru pointed out.

Suddenly all three of them were scowling at him, rather than just Hikaru.

"I am sure that Papa would have been chosen anyway," he added quickly. "Papa is the best Uchiha-sama ever."

"As good as Izuna Uchiha," Kuuya insisted.

"As good as Izuna Uchiha," Haru agreed.

"Who's as good as Izuna Uchiha?" Kazuki asked as he joined them.

"Papa," Haru answered.

Kazuki flicked his tail and twitched his whiskers. "Of course."

Then To-chan appeared with the triplets and it was time to go. Takara and Teruko walked with Hoshi, Ayame and Yuki while To-chan walked beside them holding Tsuneo's hand.

"What must you remember, Tsu-chan?" To-chan asked him.

Tsuneo thought about it. "To stay quiet."

"Yes, stay quiet," To-chan confirmed. "What else?"

Tsuneo looked at To-chan with huge, innocent eyes but said nothing.

"You must stay in your place, Tsu-chan," To-chan reminded him. "No wandering about. No going to find Five."

Tsu-chan's face lit up. "Five's the best," he declared.

To-chan sighed.

"You can stand with me and Ryuu," Kazuki told him. "If you are good, and are quiet, and stay in your place, Ryuu and I will play toss with you later."

Toss involved two of his hybrid brothers throwing Tsuneo between them; Tsu-chan loved it.

"I'll be good," he promised. "You have to throw me ten times."

"Ten times it is," Kazuki agreed.

"Thank you, Ka-chan," To-chan acknowledged. "He's got this thing about Five's fur. I have to say, Five-kun is very understanding about it."

Haru echoed To-chan's sigh. Trust Five to be understanding as well as good-looking, nice and, to cap it all, furry.

* * *

Shikamaru stared at the small object on the shelf next to the picture of his parents.

"Come on, Shika!" Neji yelled from their sitting room. He appeared in the doorway. "Shika, you haven't even got your boots on. Will you hurry up? We will be late."

Shika doubted that but he stepped into this boots and pulled on his jacket.

Neji grabbed the ring and held it out to him. "Don't forget this."

"Not mine," Shikamaru told him and displayed the ring on his duty finger.

Neji examined it. "But it's the same. Is it a replica?"

"No, it's the ring the pod-man was wearing."

Neji frowned but returned it to the shelf. Shikamaru felt a hand in the small of his back propelling him out of the bedroom, through the sitting room and towards the shared area.

"I don't want to be carried," Sumiko objected as Neji picked her up and closed the door behind them.

"Sorry, Su-chan, but we are late," Neji told her. "We will need to run."

They were there with more than a minute to spare, which was in good time to Shikamaru and appallingly late to Neji. They took their places.

The ceremony was a nice mix of formality and family. Both Five and Ran spoke out strongly. Sasuke, as always, sounded amazing. Afterwards there was long table weighed down with Choza's tasties and cups of fruit punch.

People were crowding around Five and about Ran, welcoming them to the crew. Haru wasn't among them. He was hanging back looking uncertain and more than a little unhappy. Shikamaru made his way over to him.

"That's one of the tricky bits over," he observed.

Haru gave him a puzzled look.

"Imagine if Ran had not chosen to swear to Uchiha. Imagine if he had decided to do something else with his life."

A look of horror passed over Haru's face before he smiled. "I never thought about that."

"I didn't think you had," Shikamaru replied. "Now you will be together for the rest of your lives. He lifted his cup. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Haru replied over his shoulder; he was already on his way to speak to Ran.

"Well done," Neji said from behind him.

Shikamaru turned around. "His emotions get twisted up sometimes. I know how that feels. Where's Su-chan?"

"I sent her to get you a plateful of tasties."

He imagined Sumiko coming back with a small mountain of food for him to consume.

"The ring," Neji stated.

Possible explanations for the ring had been churning in the back of his mind for days.

"Maybe all the rings from those early days were similar," Neji suggested.

Shikamaru wished that he could think that. "Rin has a full genetic profile. He is definitely a full blood Uchiha but his genome has not been sanitised."

"First or second generation then," Neji suggested.

"Or an engineered replica," Shikamaru suggested.

"So we are back to whether we believe he has been in that pod for almost a thousand standards. Are you any closer...?"

Neji stopped mid sentence. Sumiko was slowly making her way towards them with a tall pyramid of tasties arranged on a large plate. From what Shikamaru could see, the composition was heavily influenced by Sumiko's likes and dislikes.

At least that increased his chances of him being able to finish it; he probably could tempt her into sharing it with him.

He and Neji weren't alone again until late evening. Sumiko was finally asleep. There had been two muffled screams from Sasuke and Naruto's room; the howling had just started.

Normally they would have followed Naruto and Sasuke's example. Instead Shikamaru was fighting the urge to go to the office. He sat on the couch in their sitting room, his knees pulled up to his chest.

Neji sat beside him but was careful not to touch him. "Talk to me, Shika."

Shikamaru did not want to say it. Saying it made it real. "Maybe I have indigestion," he suggested.

"Shika!" Neji scolded.

He sighed. "I cannot find anything to suggest he is not genuine," he admitted. "There isn't one tiny scrap of evidence that does not fit. Even the bits that are missing are the right bits to be missing after almost a thousand standards."

"So he is a full blood Uchiha from the first or second generation. Which makes him...?"

Shikamaru took a deep breath. "Izuna Uchiha, his son Setsuna or someone we don't know about."

Neji was studying him. "You think he is Izuna Uchiha. Because of the ring. You think it is the pair to yours."

"The rings," Shikamaru admitted. "The ring on his heart finger is engraved 'With love from your other Voice'."

"People reuse rings," Neji argued, gesturing towards Shikamaru's left hand.

"Izuna Uchiha was lost," Shikamaru reminded him. "He would have been wearing his rings."

Neji frowned. "His partner wasn't with him?"

Shikamaru was surprised that Neji did not know. "His brother Madara had murdered him. He strangled him and killed one of the crew so that he would have someone to blame for it. Izuna Uchiha didn't discover the truth for almost two standards."

"I shall have to read up about him." Neji gently stroked his arm. "Why is it so bad if it is Izuna Uchiha?"

Shikamaru struggled to put his conflicting thoughts into words. "He's one of my heroes. One of Sasuke's too. You aren't meant to meet your heroes because they turn out to be ordinary people. Then there's the way he behaved. What if he's brain damaged? Worse, what if he isn't? What will Sasuke do?"

Neji's hand stopped stroking and squeezed his shoulder. "The first step is to present everything you have discovered to Sasuke. Then we will go forward from there."

Shikamaru knew that Neji was right. He also knew a way to avoid the mess of thoughts buzzing around his mind.

He leaned into Neji's touch.

* * *

Sasuke felt good. Naruto had visited the station without being pulled apart by a mob. They were on their way to Kaze by a route that meant they would not meet anyone for at least twelve days. Five and Ran had sworn to Uchiha.

He had shared wonderful, mind-blowing sex with Naruto last night and again that morning.

He had to resist the urge to whistle; he settled for humming.

Shikamaru had asked that they have the strategy meeting in the small meeting room. When Sasuke arrived there it looked like Shikamaru and Neji had been there since ship's dawn.

He had never seen so many projectors; as well as the two that were built in he could see five others.

He stopped humming; this was it.

Kakashi arrived. Keitaro delivered tea and coffee. Then Shikamaru began.

Sasuke knew at once that Shikamaru was going to confirm that the man was genuine. Otherwise he would have gone straight for the evidence that showed it was trick.

He had been excruciatingly thorough. There was everything from the arrangement of shed hair and the stratification of the discarded skin to isotopic decay patterns and the accumulation of damage to the pod from prolonged exposure to radiation.

Kakashi cracked first. "You are sure both the pod and the man inside it are from almost a thousand standards ago?" he asked.

Shikamaru frowned slightly. "Complete certainty is impossible," he pointed out.

"But, on balance, there is overwhelming evidence that is the case," Sasuke suggested.

"Yes," agreed Shikamaru. "So now we need to turn to the identity of the man in the pod."

Sasuke already knew about the genetic profile that Rin had generated. What he had not picked up was the significance of the genome not being sanitised.

"Records indicate that Uchiha began engineering their offspring from the third generation," Shikamaru informed him.

"We should not rule out that some third generation Uchiha may not have been engineered," Kakashi argued. "Some parents are more old fashioned than others."

Shikamaru nodded but Sasuke could see he was not convinced. He put his hand into his pocket and brought out two rings; the rings the man in the pod had been wearing. He placed them in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke had not had the opportunity to examine them closely before.

The duty ring was a twin to Shika's. He was suddenly aware of his heart beating. His mouth dried. As he reached out for them he saw that his hand was shaking.

He steadied it. Whatever the rings meant, he would face it.

He picked up the simple gold band and read the inscription inside.

They were Izuna Uchiha's rings.

He handed the rings to Kakashi and took a swallow of coffee, wishing it was tea or water. "Is there any way we can get confirmation?" he asked.

"I've been thinking about that," Shikamaru admitted. "The Uchiha tissue bank at Tarrasade is huge. The one we carry on the Oak contains only a subset of duplicated samples."

"Spit it out, Shikamaru," Kakashi growled.

"There are three samples that are meant to be from Izuna Uchiha. I thought that we could test two of them. Not all three because defrosting them may destroy them. They were frozen rather than being placed in stasis, as was the practice then."

"We will test one and if that is consistent with the genome Rin has obtained, we will test a second," Sasuke decided. "I shall consult with Rin and we shall send a message to Shizune today."

"The samples may have deteriorated beyond use," Shikamaru warned.

Sasuke understood that. "Nevertheless, it is the logical next step. Meanwhile, we shall treat the newcomer as a guest. With appropriate security precautions," he added before Kakashi could object. "With that in mind, I shall be inviting Rin-san, Iruka-sensei and Haku-san to a meeting this afternoon. You are all welcome to attend."

Nothing else was urgent and no one suggested that they discuss any longer term issues. Sasuke pocketed the rings and called the meeting to a close. He and Kakashi left, leaving Shikamaru and Neji to clear up.

"Izuna Uchiha," Kakashi stated.

Sasuke refused to rise. "Perhaps," he admitted. "Even if he is, he may not be in his right mind. You saw what he was like."

"Yes," Kakashi agreed. "Odd that. Is there any evidence that mental functions deteriorate in stasis?"

"No, but it was a long time. Perhaps the pod malfunctioned slightly. Maybe the damage happened before he was podded." He hesitated but continued. "Perhaps it is temporary."

"Yes," Kakashi acknowledged. "Are you ready for that?"

Sasuke imagined a resurrected Izuna Uchiha. "No," he admitted.

"Good," Kakashi replied.

Sasuke wondered what he meant by that but had no chance to ask before their paths diverged.

He spent the rest of the morning making sure he was in the best place to take good decisions. He watched the big litter do their kata. He exercised. He played his biwa. He and Naruto took the triplets to Shika's level to splash in the pond and have a picnic midmeal.

By the time the meeting began he was certain of what he wished to do.

"It is important to treat Uchiha-san as a most honoured guest," he began.

"We don't know who he is?" Iruka asked.

"There are still a number of possibilities," Sasuke answered. "Until we know, we will refer to him as Uchiha-san."

"His behaviour was not encouraging," Rin pointed out.

"I realise that," Sasuke replied, trying not to sound too sharp. "Even so, he will be treated as an honoured guest."

"An apartment then," Haku suggested. "Traditionally decorated and with separate accommodation for whoever is on duty at the time."

Sasuke felt himself relax a little. "Yes, Haku-san. That would be very appropriate."

Iruka smiled. "I think that Haku-san would be best to take the lead on that aspect of Uchiha-san's care."

Haku bowed slightly. "I shall ask Itachi to help make the decisions," he suggested. "His taste is impeccable." He took out his notebook. "He will need a full wardrobe and a selection of belongings. You can leave it in my hands, Sasuke-sama. Perhaps you could give me Uchiha-san's measurements, Rin-san."

"I shall send you them, Haku-san," she replied.

Sasuke knew that Haku would do a perfect job. He turned to Rin. "Dan-san was amazing when Naruto was disabled. Could you spare him?"

"That is an excellent idea," Kakashi added.

Rin looked from him to Kakashi. "Dan would be the best choice," she admitted.

When the meeting was over, Sasuke walked with Rin to the infirmary. On the way they discussed testing the samples from the tissue bank in Tarrasade.

Rin promised to record detailed instructions for Shizune to follow.

"I want to send the message as soon as possible," Sasuke warned her. "The Dart will take it to one of our permanent mini-gate strings."

"I shall record my part of it this very afternoon," Rin assured him.

Once they reached the infirmary, Sasuke asked to speak with Dan alone.

"We are going to move Uchiha-san to an apartment," he explained. "Whatever his state of mind, it is important to me that he is comfortable and that he is treated with respect. I believe that you would be the best person to give him any care he needs."

Dan bowed. "I am honoured that you should think of me, Sasuke-sama. If Shika-san has finished collected evidence, there is much we could do now that would make Uchiha-san much more comfortable when he next regains consciousness."

"I shall check with Shika-san. He or I will confirm when you may begin." He considered whether there was anything else. "My previous order, that he should remain sedated until I say otherwise, still stands.

From the infirmary he went to his office and sat at his desk. He took the rings from his pocket and examined them.

What if it were Izuna Uchiha?

What if he recovered?

The door slid open. Sasuke knew it was Naruto because he was the only person who entered without using the door announcer. "Dobe," he acknowledged.

"Teme," Naruto replied. He gestured towards the rings. "Can I see them?"

Sasuke watched as Naruto turned them over. His hands were beautiful. So were his wrists, his arms, his neck and every other part of him.

"Teme," Naruto warned.

The growl in his voice just made him more tempting. "Quickie," Sasuke whispered, trailing his fingertip up Naruto's inner thigh.

Naruto batted his hand away. "Do you think I carry my thingy with me?" he asked.

Sasuke was not going to be distracted. "Old fashioned quickie," he suggested.

"Last time we were in here and you said that, I ended up building a nest in the corner," Naruto reminded him.

"I'll do a better job this time," Sasuke promised and locked both doors from his desk.

Experience told them that the desk was either too high or too hard, depending on their position, the table was too low and the chairs were too small.

After the nest-building incident, Sasuke had put a thick, dense rug under the table between the low chairs. He moved the table to under the picture.

"Nice rug," Naruto observed, pulling off his shoes and standing on it. He wriggled his toes. "Thick pile, very comfy. Is it silk? You have to be careful what stains you get on silk."

"No," Sasuke lied as got the lube from the secret compartment in his desk. Perhaps he ought to get a spare 'thingy' for Naruto to keep beside it.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Sasuke lied again as he stripped. "Naruto, are you going to take your clothes off or do I have to do it for you?"

There was a blur of movement and Naruto was naked. He knelt on the rug and leaned forward, rubbing his palms and then his cheek against the silk pile. "That feels good. You sure it isn't silk?"

"Absolutely," Sasuke replied.

**oo******oo**

"You were thinking too much," Naruto told him afterwards, leaning forward and kissing him on the lips.

Sasuke wasn't thinking any more. His mind was saturated with pleasure. He just about managed to kiss back.

Naruto was running his hand over the rug. "It is silk, isn't it?"

"Yes," Sasuke admitted.

"Teme."

"Dobe."

* * *

.


	9. Childminding

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, cynder81, when spells go wrong, mikako17, melissen, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme and darkdragonalucard for reviewing Leader.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: the pod**

**9: Childminding**

* * *

Haku had the apartment for Uchiha-san ready within four days. Sasuke inspected it because Haku expected him to do so and because it gave him an opportunity to thank Haku for the time and effort he had spent on it.

It was beautiful. Given that he only had access to the furniture and fittings that were on the Oak, Haku had done an amazing job.

The only things that Sasuke did not like were the camera and the microphones. They offended his spacer sensibilities. Worse, spying on Uchiha-san was disrespectful.

Everyone else had insisted that they were necessary. Kakashi wanted them for security. Shikamaru wanted to collect more data. Neji wanted to observe Uchiha-san's behaviour. Rin, Haku and Dan wanted to ensure that Uchiha-san was safe without having someone with him for every minute of every day.

Sasuke had reluctantly acquiesced.

He gave the order for the sedation to be reversed and left the matter in Rin, Dan and Haku's hands. Each day a brief report would arrive on his desk, written in Haku's careful script. They confirmed that the man's behaviour continued to be aberrant. Rin postulated brain damage. Haku suggested regression. They decided to observe him for one div, to see if his condition would change, before discussing treatment.

Sasuke put Uchiha-san to the back of his mind and concentrated on eliminating his backlog of reports before they reached Kaze.

He was in his office when they jumped into Kaze I. The intercom clicked.

"_Kakashi here. Jump successful. We have a message from the Gourd requesting to dock. Identity confirmed."_

That was unexpected. They were going to Kaze V after Kaze I; no one had suggested that Gaara would be in Kaze I. He activated the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. Gaara-san and Lee-san are welcome."

He looked towards the door. Sure enough it slid open revealing Naruto.

"Any idea why he is here?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Naruto admitted. "I'm on my way to the docking bay to greet them. Could you cover for Kiba in the playroom? Normally I'd ask Haku but he's busy."

Sasuke knew how important Gaara was to Kiba. He closed the report. "Of course."

Kiba was pleased to be freed to greet Gaara but disconcerted that it was Sasuke relieving him.

"Iruka-sensei is with the big litter on Shika-san's level," he warned.

Sasuke had forgotten that. They were doing something with the trees for Shika; he could not recall exactly what. "I'll be fine," he insisted. "You go."

Then Kiba was gone and he was alone with the eight younger children.

Within ten minutes he knew he was out of his depth. Sumiko was in a foul mood. He had a sneaking feeling Mai and Naomi were being mean to her but there was nothing he could put his finger on, so he could not scold them. Takara and Teruko were looking angelic, which he knew was a bad sign. Shou and Tsuneo had vanished. Nagato did not want to get off his lap and, when he managed to stand up, clung to his leg.

He remembered enough from when the big litter were five to recognise that it was sliding away from him. He picked Nagato up and went towards the intercom.

Then he thought of what would happen if he used it. Kiba would be back within minutes. Iruka would probably cut short his session with the trees.

He could send Sumiko. She was seven. He found a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote a note. Then he called Sumiko over.

She came to him, which he decided was a good sign.

"I need you to take his note to Choza-san in the galley," he told her. "Straightaway," he added. "Can you do that for me, Su-chan?"

She considered before nodding. "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

Next, still carrying Nagato, he went looking for Shou and Tsuneo. He could not get the chlorine incident out of his head. He still had not found them when Ran and Five arrived with Sumiko.

"Choza-san sent us," Ran began but was interrupted by a blond missile that had appeared from nowhere.

"Five! Five!" Tsu-chan squealed, running towards his target at full speed.

Five caught Tsu-chan, tossed him into the air and caught him.

Tsuneo spared a glance and a few words for his Papa. "Look Papa, it's Five."

Sasuke suppressed a small pang of jealousy. "Yes, Tsu-chan, I can see that."

"Maybe Five could mind Tsu-chan and Shou-chan, I could do something with the girls and you could read Nagato-chan a story, Sasuke-sama," Ran suggested.

That sounded like an excellent plan.

He sat in one of the rocking chairs with Nagato in his lap. Five had taken Tsuneo and Shou into the gym; occasional squeals of delight confirmed how much fun they were having.

Ran was handling the girls perfectly. He defused the tension between Mai and Sumiko and gave Naomi extra attention. He hinted to Takara that the task might be too difficult for her, which ensured her full attention. Teruko, as always, followed her sister's lead.

It reminded Sasuke of Ranmaru, only Ranmaru had never had Ran's confidence and self-assurance.

Story finished, Nagato decided that he wanted to play with the other boys. Sasuke followed him into the gym to check that Five was happy taking a third.

Tsuneo was explaining the rules of some game to Five, who was making a show of listening intently.

Leaving Nagato with Five, Sasuke went back into the playroom and lifted Teruko from her place.

"I am going to borrow Te-chan for some Papa-time," he told Ran.

Ran smiled his approval. Teruko put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

By the Lady, he loved being a parent.

He was sorry when Iruka-sensei returned with the big litter and assured him that they would cope without him. His office seemed empty; his reports dry. He changed the indicator on Neji's side of the door from amber to blue and was pleased when Neji came in to discuss the upcoming visit to Suna.

The rest of the day went quickly, ending with Gaara and Lee joining the crew in the galley for the evemeal. Gaara was even more morose than usual; Lee was trying to compensate by asking lots of questions.

Sasuke noticed that Sumaru had sat next to Lee. Lee visiting would be good for Sumaru; Sasuke suspected that he was lonely without Tayuya chivvying him to be more sociable.

He made a mental note to talk to Kakashi about it.

Once the big litter were in their rooms for the night, Naruto suggested a bath. Sasuke jumped at the idea; it had been a while since they had fucked in the bath.

Only it soon became obvious that it was a talking bath rather than a fucking bath.

"You might have wondered why Gaara met us here rather than waiting for us to arrive at Sanctuary," Naruto began.

He waited.

"Gaara was telling me about the twins."

Sasuke recalled what little he knew about 'the twins'. They had been conceived using Gaara's humanised chromosomes and Temari's ordinary ones. They called Temari mother and Gaara uncle. They were named after Temari's uncle and her mother; the woman who had died because she had tried to be a gestator for a hybrid foetus. They were five, the same age as the triplets, give or take a div or two.

"He wants to spend some time with them but it doesn't work when he tries staying in Suna. I suggested that the twins spend a day or two here, on the Oak."

Sasuke did not like the sound of that. "In the apartment, with Gaara and Lee," he checked.

"Not exactly. More like with us and the triplets."

"Why?" Sasuke enquired.

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "The Oak is absolutely secure. It will do our children good to meet other children. Gaara thinks that our children are good role models for his."

Sasuke hovered between taking that as a compliment about his children's behaviour and regarding it as a warning about the twins.

"Gaara asked me and he is my friend," Naruto added.

Which, Sasuke knew, was the end of any hope of persuading Naruto out of it. He could either argue, lose and not fuck or he could be gracious, give in and have mind-blowing sex.

"Very well. Just for a few days," he agreed and was rewarded by a stunning smile.

He smiled back. How bad could it be?

He had his answer two days later as he watched Karura and Yashamaru run rings around their minders at the formal reception in the Great Hall in Suna.

"Why are they even here?" he muttered to no one in particular.

"It is traditional for the Kage's children to be present at such functions," Neji told him. "It shows that the heirs are alive and healthy."

They were certainly lively and, if the way they were running about was anything to go by, in very good health. He watched them vanish under a long, cloth-draped table.

A few minutes later there was a commotion some distance away. A woman screamed. There was a minor panic until a large spider was contained and ejected.

He no longer had any doubt that his children could be positive role models for Yashamaru and Karura.

* * *

Haru and Kazuki, like everyone else, made sure they had line-of-sight when To-chan, Gaara-san and Lee-san brought Karura and Yashamaru to the playroom.

They watched as the triplets and the twins were introduced and told to play nicely.

That lasted until they had edged far enough away from the adults. Then something happened, Haru wasn't sure what, and a fight broke out between Takara, Teruko and the twins.

It should have been brief but To-chan was distracted by Gaara-san jumping to his feet, passing out and hitting his head.

Haru thought it was pretty balanced. Takara and Teruko had better technique but Karura and Yashamaru fought dirty. After about a minute, Hoshi and Yuki interfered.

"Kazuki, will you stop spectating and help me and Yuki separate them?" Hoshi demanded.

Yuki ended up holding Takara and Teruko, while Kazuki had Karura and Yashamaru in either hand at arm's length. By then Iruka-sensei had arrived. He took over looking after Gaara-san, freeing To-chan and Lee-san to deal with the combatants.

"How could you?" Lee-san asked mournfully. "You are guests. Your behaviour should be exemplary."

Haru couldn't see that having any more effect on Karura and Yashamaru than it would on Takara or Teruko.

"My playroom, my rules," To-chan announced. "Fighting is not allowed. Each of you will go into a naughty-corner for at least five minutes. After that you can say sorry for fighting or you stay there."

Karura and Yashamaru looked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language.

Takara and Teruko walked to the indicated corners but Karura and Yashamaru just stared at To-chan.

"No," Karura stated.

Haru guessed that Karura did not have a parent like To-chan or Papa, or a Guardian like Kiba-san.

"You will go into the corner or I shall pick you up and put you there," To-chan warned.

"You wouldn't dare," Karura told him.

Haru admired her spirit, although not her survival instincts.

To-chan sent for Kiba-san, Haru wasn't sure if it was because To-chan needed him or because he wanted Kiba-san to see what the twins were like.

Gaara-san had recovered consciousness and received treatment. He and Lee-san sat and watched.

Karura walked away from her corner again. To-chan picked her up and put her back.

"What happens if they don't apologise?" Gaara-san asked of Iruka-sensei.

Iruka-sensei was careful to reply in a loud enough voice for the twins to hear. "When Naruto-san decides that they have had enough we will stop for today. Then, tomorrow morning, we will start again."

Lee-san looked horrified. "How long can it go on?" he asked.

"Three days is the record," Iruka-sensei admitted.

Yashamaru went very still. Haru heard Kiba-san say something to him; it was too quiet to hear. Then he apologised.

The look his sister gave him was worthy of a laser pistol.

Kiba-san gave Yashamaru a hug and guided him to where Gaara-san and Lee-san were sitting. To Haru's surprise neither of them said anything.

He checked with Kazuki, who rolled his eyes to show what he thought of Gaara-san's child rearing skills.

Iruka-sensei stepped into the breach. "Well done for apologising, Yashamaru-chan. I am sure that your mother would be very proud of you."

Yashamaru blinked back tears and Haru was suddenly very grateful to have To-chan and Papa and Kiba-san and Iruka-sensei and even Haku-san.

Karura cracked when Iruka-sensei brought out the cookies.

That evening he, Kazuki and Sai were hanging out with Ran in his room. Kazuki was finishing telling Ran about the afternoon's events.

"Iruka-san described each cookie in turn to Yashamaru, so that Karura would hear." He began mimicking Iruka-sensei. "There's a gooey one with big chocolate chips, Yasha-chan, or a buttery one with nuts, or a sticky one with toffee chunks."

Haru laughed and Ran smiled. It was Iruka-sensei at his sneakiest.

"I do not understand," Sai complained. "Why is describing cookies funny?"

Haru left it to Kazuki to explain. "How was your day?" he asked Ran.

"Good," Ran admitted. "With so many crew members involved in the drop to Suna, Five and I both had a slot as third chair in the control room."

The control room was only triple-manned when they were in a high risk situation, like at a gate or during a drop.

"We're both going to drop to Sanctuary when we get to Kaze V," Ran added. "I'll be staying in the control room on the Sakura but Five is going out onto the surface with Naruto-san and Kisame-san."

It sounded much more interesting than being in the playroom on the Oak. "That's great," he acknowledged. He made himself ask. "How is Five doing? Is he settling in?"

Ran considered before answering. "He acts as if everything is fine, but I know he's lonely. He misses his group."

Haru noticed that Ran had said 'know'. It meant that he had linked with Five and felt his emotions. Haru could not stop himself asking the next question. "Do you like him?"

There was silence. Kazuki had stopped explaining to Sai about the biscuits.

Ran sighed. "Only in the way you like him," he replied. "He's nice. Everyone likes him."

"He smells wrong," Kazuki complained. He twitched his nose at Ran. "You smell of him."

Haru's mind was full of what Ran might have been doing with Five to smell of him.

"I spend a chunk of each day with him. We train together. Of course I smell of him," Ran complained. He turned to Haru. "Will you stop being so jealous. It feels horrid."

"Jealous has three main meanings," Sai stated. "One; strongly wanting someone else's position, advantages or possessions. Two; suspicious or unduly suspicious or fearful of being displaced by a rival. Three; protective and suspiciously watchful. Which jealous is Haru being?"

"Two," Kazuki replied. "He doesn't want Ran to get close to Five because he's scared Ran won't have time for him."

Haru felt himself flushing.

"Why don't you get jealous?" Sai asked Kazuki.

"Haru spends lots of time worrying about what might happen. His mind works like that. I don't because mine doesn't," Ka-chan replied. He looked at Haru. "Trouble is, he could push Ran away by being jealous. He could push him towards Five."

"So being jealous makes being displaced by the rival more likely?" Sai checked.

"Yes," Kazuki confirmed.

"Jealousy does not seem a productive emotion," Sai observed.

* * *

Sasuke looked at Naruto in horror.

"You want to do what?" he queried. It was early morning and he was just out of the shower. Maybe he was still asleep or had water in his ears.

"I want to recruit some childminders from Sanctuary, train them and then send them to Temari-sama to help look after Yashamaru and Karura."

There was so much wrong with the idea that Sasuke had to think before he knew where to start. "You want to bring strangers onto the ship. You then want to let them go again, which means that they will know inside information. Worst, our enemies will think they know even more than they do, so we will be endangering their lives."

"They will be from Sanctuary. It will be no more risk to us than recruiting Kamatari," Naruto argued. "We can limit what they find out about how Uchiha operates. They will be going from us to another high security environment; they will be part of Temari-sama's staff."

It was madness; Sasuke had no intention of allowing it. He cast about for a way of saying no without upsetting Naruto. "It would be like telling Temari-sama how to raise her children," he pointed out.

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "Sasuke, I had to stop her making an official request for us to foster them."

In the past, fostering each others' children had been an important way of strengthening alliances. Temari-sama was head of an allied clan. If she made the request, honour required that he agree.

Sasuke imagined the two little hellions being a permanent part of their lives; suddenly Naruto's scheme was worth considering.

"We'll have to hang onto Yashamaru and Karura while we train the recruits," Naruto added. "Which is a good thing because we can make sure the relationship is sound before sending them back to Suna."

Sasuke shuddered but decided that it was better than having to raise them until they were fourteen. "You must consult with Neji about recruiting and Itachi about security," he insisted. "Shika does the background checks. They have to live separately on the Oak."

"As far as possible," Naruto agreed. "But they will have to visit the playroom. Iruka-sensei will help me sort out the training programme. It will be fine," he added on his way out the door.

Sasuke doubted that. He followed Naruto out of their room and went to get a flask of coffee to take to his office.

Haku appeared as soon as he was over the galley's threshold. "Sasuke-sama," he acknowledged with a small bow. "We have a case conference about Uchiha-san today. Would it be possible for you to attend for part of it? Possibly the beginning?"

Sasuke had hoped to avoid that level of involvement but he could not refuse a direct request. "I shall be there, Haku-san. When and where?"

Where was the seminar room in the infirmary. When was so soon that he just had time to drink one cup of coffee.

Neji, Dan, Haku and Rin were already present when he arrived.

"Who is with Uchiha-san?" he asked as he took his seat.

"Tatsuji-san and Itachi," Haru told him.

Tatsuji had been suggested as back-up when Dan was not available but no one had mentioned Itachi.

"Shall we begin," he suggested. "Rin-san?"

Rin activated the projector, which began showing video of Uchiha-san in his apartment. Sasuke looked away. He was annoyed that Rin was oblivious to the concerns about privacy and respect that he had raised previously.

"Turn it off please, Rin-san," he ordered.

"Sasuke-sama?" she queried but did so.

"I am not involved with Uchiha-san's care. It is inappropriate for me to invade his privacy."

There was a silence that Rin broke. "I apologise, Sasuke-sama."

"I accept your apology, Rin-san. I understand that you are motivated by your desire to care for your patient."

"There has been a development, Sasuke-sama," Neji informed him. "Perhaps Haku-san should explain."

Sasuke nodded.

Haku glanced at Rin and then began.

"Uchiha-san's behaviour has been consistent. I shall not describe it in detail but, importantly, he ignores other people. If a person has to approach him, to tend to him, he either retreats or, if there is nowhere to retreat to, hides his face with his hands."

Sasuke remembered the man peering out from between his fingers.

"Yesterday there was a short time when neither Dan-san nor Tatsuji-san was available. We discussed the matter with Kakashi-san and it was decided that having a fighter with an implant present was not necessary. Itachi was available so he substituted.

"In brief, Uchiha-san behaves completely differently with Itachi."

Sasuke discovered that he was not surprised. "He reacted to Itachi's looks," he suggested.

"We would like to test that hypothesis," Neji replied.

Sasuke knew what was coming next. "You want me to visit him." He was not at all keen on the idea but he could see the logic of it.

"With appropriate security precautions," Neji confirmed.

Later that morning, he and Naruto visited Uchiha-san's apartment. Sasuke sat on the couch in the sitting room. Naruto stood against one of the walls.

If Uchiha-san found Naruto's presence too frightening, they would try something else.

After some time, a face peered around the doorjamb from Uchiha-san's dressing room. Sasuke pretended not to see. Dark eyes, Uchiha eyes, studied him but then flicked to Naruto. The face vanished.

On the third repeat Haku whispered into his earpiece. _"Make eye contact with him next time._"

Sasuke decided to imagine that the man was a frightened little boy. The next time the man's eyes widened as he realised that Sasuke was looking at him.

"_Maybe gesture for him to join you?" _Haku suggested.

At first Sasuke thought that beckoning him over had been an error; the face vanished as the dark eyes focused on his hand. Then the face was back, watching.

Sasuke smiled at him.

It was enough; he crept across the threshold.

The man now looked as an Uchiha should, from his perfectly manicured fingernails to his simple but elegant clothing. His hair was smooth and well-tended; short at the front but long and tied into a tail at the back.

Sasuke patted the couch beside him. The man left the shelter of the wall and started across the room towards him only to stop two-thirds of the way and sit cross-legged on the floor.

Like a child sitting and looking up at an adult; the similarity was too obvious to miss.

"_He is waiting for you to speak to him, Sasuke-sama,"_ Haku hinted.

Sasuke knew that, but what should he say?

"Sing to him, Sasuke," Naruto whispered.

The man startled at the unexpected voice and Sasuke realised that he would have to act quickly to prevent him scuttling back to his bedroom. He began singing a lullaby; one that his mother had sung to him and that he sang to his children.

All the tension went from the man's body. He relaxed, looked up at Sasuke and smiled.

* * *

.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha had a beautiful voice but hearing the lullaby stirred memories he preferred to forget. It made of him think of his grandmother and his brother; of before.

So he curled up on the floor and pretended to sleep, knowing that Sasuke Uchiha would stop singing and go away, taking the fox hybrid with him.

When they had gone he stayed where he was until pretence became reality.

* * *

.

* * *

.


	10. Progress

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, cynder81, mikako17, melissen, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme, darkdragonalucard and when spells go wrong for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: the pod**

**10: Progress**

* * *

Shikamaru opened the next video for Neji, Kiba, Gaara, Lee and Naruto to view. It was the twenty-sixth.

Gaara had liked Naruto's suggestion of recruiting a team of hybrids to look after the twins. He had asked for a secure link to Temari's private office to discuss it. Apparently she was in favour of the idea, provided Shikamaru could provide background checks that would satisfy her chief of security.

Sasuke had mumbled something about her being willing to try anything.

They had set up a real-time light speed link for Gaara to discuss the Naruto's suggestion with Yagura. Once they had his approval, Naruto had corresponded with Fukasaku and Shima about finding suitable candidates.

Most of the people Fukasaku or Shima approached chose to record a short vid to be sent to the Oak.

They had over sixty, which had caught Shikamaru's interest. Maybe they could solve one of Uchiha's long-term problems as well as finding carers for Karura and Yashamaru.

Number twenty-six was yet another dog-human hybrid who had been bought as a pup by a family as a companion for their children and then 'let go' when the children reached adolescence.

He seemed nice; too nice for the twins.

"Category three," Neji suggested.

They all agreed; category three was the group that had potential but were unsuitable for the particular role under consideration.

Next was a category one, an older dog hybrid who had raised two children from birth to adulthood; definitely a prospect if he had enough standards left.

Naruto growled. "How could that family just dismiss him like that? No home, no pension, no gratitude?"

There were two more category threes and then someone a bit different; a scarred wolf hybrid who had been discarded by a security company because they did not want to pay for a prosthetic leg.

"_Can't see raising children is much different than training cubs and I've done a lot of that in my time. Life here's not bad but it's a bit boring. Cubs need to be able to look after themselves. I can teach them that."_ She grinned, which sent shivers down Shikamaru's spine. _"Who knows, someone might attack them and I'd get the chance to pull his guts out and strangle him with them."_

"Might be very suitable," Kiba observed.

Gaara looked at him in horror. "Kiba!"

"Category two," Naruto suggested and the others, even Gaara, agreed.

Shikamaru added the wolf hybrid's details to the list and initiated the first level of a background check.

"Let's take a break," Kiba proposed before Shikamaru could bring up the next vid. "I'll get us some refreshments from the galley."

Shikamaru guessed that Kiba wanted a quick cuddle with Choza; they usually spent the afternoons together. He slipped into Kiba's vacated place next to Naruto.

"It makes you think," he began.

"It makes me angry," Naruto confessed. Then he processed what Shikamaru had said. "Shi-chan?"

"Sixty plus here on a single pass. How many more do you think there are out there?" Shikamaru asked. "Perhaps the HDL should think about setting up an agency."

Naruto's whiskers drooped. "Why should people pay agency rates when they buy hybrids and throw them away when they don't need them anymore?"

Shikamaru smiled. "You and the HDL will make buying, owning and selling hybrids unacceptable to most families. It's already going that way. I can show you the trend lines. People will still want hybrids to look after their children, particularly dog-human hybrids. An agency could fill the gap while making sure that the hybrids were paid a decent wage."

"If you say so," Naruto conceded doubtfully.

"I'll run some models," he promised and was rewarded by one of Naruto's breathtaking smiles.

"You always say that. Last time we ended up with Jirenkai, Songen, Sublevel C and the Tube."

"Which are good things," Shikamaru suggested.

"Which are very good things," Naruto confirmed.

Once they had viewed the other thirty-two videos they had sixteen people in categories one and two. Shikamaru decided to also run background checks for the twenty-eight allocated to category three; it might save time later. Then he went to find Sasuke.

He used the door from the corridor and pressed the announcer; he did not think Sasuke would like it if he used Neji's door.

Sasuke was using the new database interface that he and Neji had created, which was nice.

"Shika," he acknowledged. Then he shut down the programme rather than pausing it, which suggested he was in the mood to listen.

Shikamaru sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk. "The foetuses we rescued from Pein."

"The foetuses you rescued from Pein," Sasuke reminded him.

They had made some progress deciding the fate of the foetuses over the last six standards. Uchiha had kept the eighteen individuals whose genetic profiles indicated that they would tolerate the symbiote. Shikamaru had gone forward with his original plan and ensured that the other forty-two found suitable families.

"We are looking for three people to look after the twins. Based on what we have seen today, we could fill those positions five times over," Shikamaru observed.

Sasuke saw the connection immediately. "As long as we can be sure that none of those we recruit is a threat or, worse, a plant."

"We went through all this with Kamatari," Shikamaru reminded him. "We won't recruit anyone who does not check out. Also, there is a difference between individuals presented to us, like Ranmaru, and people we select from a substantial population."

There was a short silence. Shikamaru resisted the urge to speak first.

"It would be much better if all eighteen were raised within Uchiha," Sasuke acknowledged. "Three litters of six. Maybe at three standard intervals. There could be a team of carers but different key people for each litter."

"You've been thinking about it," Shikamaru accused.

"Yes," Sasuke admitted. "I am worried about Kiba. The triplets already need him less than they did. I had imagined that there would be more babies but no one else seems in a rush to breed. He would jump at the chance of another litter to raise." He smiled with his eyes. "We could use hybrids to build a family for them, so Naruto doesn't insist on adopting all eighteen of them."

"He doesn't know about them yet," Shikamaru checked.

"Of course not. We would have been nagged about it constantly." Sasuke considered. "Let me think about it. We'll meet again tomorrow."

Shikamaru recognised a dismissal when he heard one. He went out into the corridor and through the next door into the office.

Neji was reviewing the application videos; probably deciding what questions each candidate should be asked. Shikamaru smiled a greeting but went directly to his end of the room rather than disturbing him. He put in his earpieces and activated the interface he had built for his new desk.

The automated programme had retrieved as fresh packet from the data stream. He undid it and found a single message: Uchiha, from Tarrasade; for Sasuke; from Shizune.

He flagged it urgent and sent to Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke made himself a pot of tea after Shikamaru left. Going through the familiar actions helped him think.

The plan had a number of merits. Kiba would be happy with more babies to look after. Sumaru would be encouraged by the possibility of more warriors following his revised Way of the Knife. Naruto would be pleased that they were giving discarded hybrids a future.

And it was likely that the foetuses would grow into people who chose to be elite Uchiha fighters, which would be excellent.

He walked back to his desk to see the urgent alert light winking at him.

The message was from Shizune. He studied the contents carefully. The results were unequivocal; the genetic material in the stored samples was consistent with the profile Rin had sent her.

Sasuke sat back. Uchiha-san was Izuna Uchiha. Knowing felt very different to expecting. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

What if he recovered?

What if he didn't?

It would be easier if he didn't. An apartment could be built for him in the household. People could be recruited to care for him. It would be sad, even tragic, but it would be easy.

Instead Sasuke imagined him recovering. He would meet Izuna Uchiha; his hero. They could rebuild Uchiha together.

He pulled himself together and sent the comparison data to Rin and to Shika for a second and third opinion.

Then he went to find Naruto.

It turned out to be one of Iruka's 'peer teaching' afternoons, which Sasuke imagined would be more challenging than usual with Karura and Yashamaru visiting.

It appeared to be going smoothly. Naruto had found a vantage point and monitoring the situation; Sasuke knew he would be using his ears and his nose as much or more than his eyes.

Naruto gave him the look and the whisker-twitch that asked what was wrong.

Sasuke sat on the table next to him. He had decided just to tell him. "Uchiha-san is Izuna Uchiha."

Naruto was not surprised. They sat together in silence, watching their children. Then Naruto turned to him, looked at him with those incredible blue eyes and spoke.

"You are the centre of my world."

Sasuke remembered; as if he could ever forget. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me," he replied. "You and the children light my life."

Naruto smiled and Sasuke basked in the golden warmth of their love.

xxx

Haru had agreed to Hoshi's suggestion that he lead an activity for Takara and Karura. In return, she would have Sumiko.

He had discussed it with Ran the previous evening. Ran had suggested that he take advantage of their competitiveness so he had set them twenty small mathematical puzzles of increasing difficulty. Demonstrating that they could solve the puzzle to Haru gained three counters but asking Haru for help lost two. Along the centre of the table were objects that Hoshi had assured him they would want. Each had a price tag in counters. None cost less than forty counters.

He had a wager with Hoshi that they wouldn't work out that they would end up with more counters by co-operating.

Takara had scowled at him when he had explained the rules. "You're mean," she accused.

Karura said nothing. She had finished the first puzzle and demanded her first three counters by the time Takara realised that she was behind and stopped complaining.

Haru settled back in his chair with nothing to do but check results, watch out for cheating and think.

Papa came in. Haru sat straighter and rehearsed in his head how to describe the activity to make it sound like a useful educational experience rather than a way of using Takara and Karura's dislike of each other to give him as easy a time as possible.

Only Papa did not walk around talking to people like he usually did. Instead he went and sat close to To-chan, who was at one of his usual lookouts.

Haru could not drag his eyes away from them. They were so... ...together. Then they said something to each other and To-chan smiled.

He wanted a future like that. He wanted a future like that with Ran.

Karura's voice pulled him back to the present. "Lee and Uncle Gaara are together like that."

"Yes," he agreed, although he considered what Lee-san and Gaara-san shared to be a pale shadow of what existed between Papa and To-chan.

"Mother doesn't have anyone."

"Maybe she will find someone," Haru suggested.

"No," Karura told him. "She is the Kage. The Kage cannot afford to love anyone."

Haru wondered if that also applied to her children; it would explain a lot.

"Uncle Kankuro loves lots of people. They are all women. We have to call each one Auntie and act like she is the only one."

Haru decided not to comment.

"Do I have to give you two counters if Takara helps me?" Karura asked.

Takara's head came up like Kazuki's when he realised that Choza-san was preparing his favourite food.

"No," Haru admitted. He sighed; he would be scrubbing Hoshi and Yuki's bathroom for the next six days.

Papa did come over and talk to them. By that time Takara and Karura were taking it in turns to pay Haru and then help the other. This meant they were collecting four counters each for every two puzzles.

Haru stood to one side while Takara described their strategy to Papa and Karura explained that they should both end up with over forty counters.

Papa waited until they had started on the puzzles again before resting a hand on Haru's shoulder. "Well done," he whispered.

* * *

Sasuke was impressed by Haru's activity, which had pushed Takara and Karura into deciding to work together. He described the ins and outs of it to Naruto when he had finished visiting each group.

"Mind you, I am surprised that Iruka-sensei was willing to risk putting Takara, Karura and Haru together," he observed.

"Hoshi chooses who goes in which group," Naruto told him.

"Hoshi?" Sasuke queried.

"Hoshi," Naruto confirmed.

His eyes went to where his oldest daughter was sitting with Sumiko. They were making a present for Shikamaru. He thought of the diagrams and grids he had seen; evidence of how Hoshi had cajoled Su-chan into thinking about what Shika might like rather than assuming he would be pleased with something yellow that suited a little girl of seven.

Maybe Hoshi was even better at leading than she was at music. It was a thought he realised he had been avoiding. He had always told himself that Hoshi was more advanced socially than her brothers because she was female.

"They score over one fifth higher when she leads their simulated missions," Naruto told him.

"I thought Itachi kept Kakashi-sensei informed about their progress," Sasuke observed.

"He does," Naruto confirmed.

Sasuke though back over his conversations with Kakashi about the children. He had mentioned Hikaru's leadership potential. And Kuuya's. Maybe he thought that Hoshi's was too obvious to mention.

Or perhaps it was something else; old Uchiha had insisted that women were all about rearing children and running households.

"I'll check with Kakashi-sensei that he has noticed," Sasuke promised.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "You do that." He looked about. "This is all going very smoothly. I am sure that Iruka-sensei can cope with them alone. We could visit Uchiha-san. You could take your biwa."

Sasuke wondered what they should call him. Izuna-sama?

The daily reports had suggested progress. He was doing more for himself. He had played beigoma with Itachi.

It would be good to see the improvements for himself.

* * *

.

* * *

It was going well. It had felt wonderful to wake and feel clean: no itching, flaking skin; no bush of hair; no claws that made it difficult to walk and impossible to use his fingers. The rooms, the furnishings, his clothes, the way he was treated; it was all very satisfying.

They called him Uchiha-san. It would do for now.

Sasuke Uchiha had returned bringing a stringed instrument like those some of the geishas played.

The music was beautiful.

Sasuke Uchiha was beautiful; he was reminded of his brother. For a brief moment he contemplated changing the plan.

He listened to one piece of music, another and then a third. Then he pretended to sleep, because that would make Sasuke Uchiha go away taking the fox hybrid with him.

Sasuke Uchiha should have killed him. Fugaku Uchiha would have. He would not have even checked who was in the pod before destroying it. So would most of the other men who had led Uchiha over the centuries.

He knew because he had checked. Every fifty standards he rose from his coffin, sifted through the information collected while he was in stasis and decided whether this was the time.

It never had been.

Once the first few centuries had passed it was easy to wait another and then another. His resources grew. Akatsuki, the scheme he had rejected in favour of this one, had developed in interesting ways in Orochimaru's hands.

Orochimaru; it was difficult to think of him without becoming angry. Anger was unwise. Sasuke Uchiha had a Hyuga and an empath. Apparently Hyugas could read behaviour and no one was sure what empaths could do.

There were cameras; they were too responsive for it to be otherwise.

As his co-conspirator, Orochimaru was meant to trigger an unscheduled waking if something interesting happened to Uchiha. The massacre of all the clan members but one certainly qualified as interesting.

That was the problem with mindprinted clones. They were unpredictable and untrustworthy.

He imagined trusting himself and laughed.

Unexplained laughter was fine; anger was not.

He still believed it would have been easier when Sasuke Uchiha was younger: before the fox hybrid; before the children; before the elder brother had reappeared; before he was surrounded by people loyal to him.

On the other hand, Uchiha's reputation was out of the gutter and on the way up. There was the typed-seven genius and the Hyuga who was Uchiha.

And maybe some of the Uchiha children could be useful.

Once the real Orochimaru had come out of stasis, he had not hesitated to send the signal. To compensate for his clone's wilful behaviour, there had been the gift of more detailed information about Sasuke Uchiha and his crew; buttons for him to press and levers for him to use.

Then there was the endgame they had concocted.

He would get Uchiha. Orochimaru would keep Akatsuki and get his little hybrids back.

* * *

.

* * *

.


	11. Izunasama

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme, darkdragonalucard, when spells go wrong cynder81, mikako17 and melissen for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 1: the pod**

**11: Izuna-sama**

* * *

Sasuke knew it was pointless putting it off any longer. Both Rin and Shikamaru had confirmed Shizune's conclusion. It was time to tell the crew.

He started with a vid for the crew in Tarrasade. Reviewing his first attempt he could see that it was inadequate. He looked and sounded too unsure.

The problem was that he did not know how he felt. One moment he was thrilled at the thought of Izuna-sama recovering and the next the same thought filled him with churning unease.

He discarded the vid and went to find Kakashi.

He was with Five and Ran. After one glance at Sasuke, he wound up what he was saying and sent them off to use the simulators.

"Uchiha-san is Izuna Uchiha," Sasuke told him.

Kakashi waited.

He struggled to put his concerns into words. "He was Uchiha-sama."

"Not anymore," Kakashi reminded him. "That's the code. Once someone is declared dead they are dead. I know you will give him a home and a place but that is because you are generous, not because he has any right to them."

Sasuke knew that; it was the way spacers dealt with exactly this scenario. After a decade, lost became dead. But this was not just anyone. "He is Izuna Uchiha," Sasuke repeated.

"Who, even if he recovers, is almost a thousand standards out of date," Kakashi insisted. "This is your Uchiha, not his. We follow you, not him." There was a pause and Sasuke knew Kakashi was studying him. "The stories tell of a man of honour. A man who, in this situation, would only think of supporting you."

That struck a chord. "I would like to talk to him about what those early days were like," Sasuke admitted.

Kakashi laid a hand on his shoulder. "Let's hope he recovers enough to hold a conversation." He smiled. "What you need is a spar."

Completing the vid for the crew in Tarrasade was a lot easier after Kakashi had kicked his butt and they had wound down in the steam room.

Next he used the intercom to request that all crew members and the older children attend the meal that evening.

He waited until everyone was seated at the table and looking at him expectantly. He took a deep breath, hopefully without appearing to do so. It was important that he strike the same tone as he had in the vid.

"You all are aware of our guest from the past," he began. "His genetic profile is that of a full blood Uchiha. The evidence confirms that he had been in stasis for close to a thousand standards. We now have compared his genetic profile to samples held in the tissue bank in Tarrasade. The man in the pod is Izuna Uchiha."

He paused. No one was shocked, which was not surprising as speculation had been rife. His children were wide-eyed but that was probably because he had overdone the Izuna Uchiha stories when they were younger.

"Izuna-sama is still suffering side-effects from his time in stasis," he continued. "Discussing his future is inappropriate until a time when he is further recovered. I thank Dan-san, Haku-san and everyone else involved in his care.

"That is all I have to say for now. Eat."

He and Naruto left the table with the big litter as soon as the meal was over. They had picked up on his warning. He could see them trying to think of questions that were not 'speculating about Izuna-sama's future'.

"Will we be able to visit Izuna-sama?" Yuki asked. "Maybe we could cheer him up."

Sasuke had to smile. "Not yet, Yuki-chan. Off you go. Your To-chan and I will be around to check that you are all in your rooms later."

He felt good. Telling everyone, getting it out into the open, had helped. Now he could turn to the other matter, the foetuses. If they were going to recruit hybrids to look after them, as well as the twins, he would need to broach the subject with Kiba.

That meant talking about it to Naruto first.

At times like these he wished they had a private sitting room; with their large bathroom and all the rooms for the children it seemed greedy to ask Iruka for more space.

"I need to talk to you about something," he admitted as he closed the door between their bedroom and the triplets' nursery.

Naruto studied him. "Other than Izuna Uchiha," he checked.

Sasuke noticed that he did not say Izuna-sama; he would follow that up at another time. "Yes."

They sat cross-legged on their bed, facing each other, as they had since their days on the Silver Leaf.

He explained about the foetuses Shika had found on Pein's ship and the decisions he had made over the last six standards. Naruto listened carefully and did not interrupt.

"You are sure they were not damaged by time that they were gestated in the sensory deprivation environment?" he asked when Sasuke had finished.

Trust Naruto to be focused on the children's welfare. "Yes. Some of the other forty-two for are over two standards. By all measures they are normal."

"And the eighteen we are keeping will have choices? To swear or not to swear? To host the symbiote or not?"

"Yes."

"It was sensible to wait until we knew that the babies had not been damaged," Naruto observed. "I do not think purebreds of lesser potential would be happy within Uchiha."

Sasuke decided not to point out that it had been procrastination rather than a decision taken for the good of the children. "Only purebreds?" he asked.

Naruto considered. "Yes. Most hybrids are interested in what they can do rather than what they cannot." He thought again. "I could be wrong. It is only my opinion. So how are we going to raise eighteen more children?"

Sasuke settled to the task of persuading Naruto that Kiba and a team of hybrids carers were the best people to raise the children, rather than them.

It proved surprisingly easy. Naruto was on his feet as soon as the words had left his lips.

"It's a great solution," he declared. He was already on the other side of the room opening the door to the shared area. "Let's discuss it with Kiba now. He can start thinking about which of the hybrids who sent vids would be suitable. Did Shi-chan run background checks on the category threes? I hope so."

Sasuke trailed behind him; Naruto would never cease to amaze him.

* * *

Haru slipped into his place next to Hoshi and put in his earpiece. Shi-chan, Kakashi-san, Iruka-sensei and Papa were monitoring the interviews from the Oak and Shi-chan had suggested that it would be good experience for the big litter to observe.

Even Iruka-sensei had been surprised when Papa had agreed.

The interviews were on the Sakura, which was on the surface. To-chan, Kiba-san and Gaara-san were asking the questions with Neji-san and Ran as observers.

It was the first time Ran had been asked to try using his empathy to judge strangers and Haru knew that he was worried.

By the end of the first batch of six, Haru felt as if he had been dowsed in cold water and wrung out.

These people had been exploited, abused, mistreated or abandoned by the purebreds they had served. They now had a safe place and a future. Despite that, each one of them wanted to give up what they had in Sanctuary to look after purebred children. It was amazing.

Haru wasn't sure if it was amazingly stupid or amazingly wonderful. Knowing Hana-san, Kiba-san and To-chan predisposed him towards the latter.

He hoped Ran was coping. Haru had occasionally caught a glimpse of him at the edge of the camera's field of view or heard him contribute to the discussion that followed each interview.

"Haru-chan?" Papa queried.

Haru pulled himself back to the present. "Yes Papa?"

"You may leave now if you wish. Kazuki, Yoshimi and Yasushi have decided to do so."

Haru shook his head. He wanted to know what Ran had seen and heard. "No, Papa, I would like to stay."

He was the only one there by the end: Kuuya and Keizo's capacity for sitting still had run out; Yuki had become too upset; Hoshi had gone with Yuki; Hikaru had realised that Ryuu had had enough but would not go without him.

Papa put a hand on his shoulder. "Well done, Haru-chan, but you will have to go now. We are moving on to the sensitive part of the discussion."

Haru wondered if Ran had been part of that.

He hadn't. Once all the information and opinions were collected, the final decisions were taken by Papa, To-chan, Gaara-san, Kiba-san and Iruka-sensei.

They offered contracts to ten of the candidates. Haru was surprised. Surely even the twins didn't need ten people to look after them?

The Sakura returned the next day, bringing the recruited hybrids with them. Haru knew that it would take time for Ran to finish helping settle them into the accommodation that had been prepared on one of the other levels.

Even so, he couldn't stop himself watching the doorways, hoping that Ran would walk through one of them.

It finally happened when everyone was milling about the shared area, about to sit down for the evemeal. Ran arrived with Five. As they walked in, Five said something and Ran laughed.

Haru felt as if he had been punched in the gut. Ran almost never laughed; even his smiles were precious gifts. Haru mumbled some excuse and fled.

He did not stop until he was locked in the head off his and Kazuki's room.

Almost immediately there was a scratch at the door.

"Open the door," Kazuki demanded. "I know you aren't pooping. If you don't come now, To-chan will turn up asking what is wrong."

He stayed where he was, with the door locked.

"Haru, you have to stop this. It's like I said to Sai. You are pushing Ran towards Five."

He flinched. He wanted the old Ka-chan back, not this new version who could be too like To-chan. He wanted to turn back time to before Ran had taken the oath.

He wanted Five gone.

"Open the door or I shall go back down without you and you know what will happen then."

Haru didn't want To-chan asking him what was wrong. He opened the door.

Kazuki pulled him out and hugged him. "You're being such an idiot."

"I can't help it," Haru complained.

Ka-chan gave a small growl. "You'll have to learn how. Jealousy is ugly to anyone, never mind someone like Ran who can feel it inside you." He guided Haru out of their room. "Now let's get down there."

They were just in time; they met To-chan on his way out of the galley to look for them.

Haru made himself put the food into his mouth, chew and swallow. Had Ran seen him run from the shared area? Was he annoyed? Would he ask Haru to come to his room after the meal?

Had anything happened between him and Five on the Sakura?

Finally the meal was over. Crew members excused themselves. Children asked their parents if they could leave the table. Then Ran was beside him.

"Do you want to hang out?" he asked.

Relief washed over Haru. He could feel himself smiling.

Kazuki and Sai were there too, which was fine. They talked about what it was like to drop in the Sakura. Then they moved onto the interviews.

"Could you feel them?" Haru asked.

Ran shook his head. "I got a vague impression from about one in three. I would have had to touch them skin to skin. I need to be really familiar with a person to link without that type of contact." He looked Haru directly in the eyes. "I have started to link to Five."

"Like you do to me," Kazuki suggested. "And other people," he added.

"Yes," Ran agreed.

The sensible side of Haru said that it was nothing out of the ordinary; that Ran would not even be telling him if he wasn't being, as Ka-chan had said, such an idiot.

The other side imagined Ran cuddled up to Five on one of the Sakura's bunks.

Ran looked so disappointed; his gaze was sliding away.

"Good," Haru announced. "I know I am being pathetic about Five. I'm going to try harder to do better."

Ran smiled. "I would like that very much."

"I do not understand," Sai complained. "In what way is Haru being pathetic? There are four different definitions for pathetic. One: deserving or inciting pity. Two: inspiring mixed contempt and pity. Three: inspiring scornful pity. Four: lacking in power or forcefulness."

By the time they had finished discussing Haru's patheticness it was time for Haru and Kazuki to go to their room.

Five appeared in the shared area as soon as they closed Ran's door behind them. Haru glanced about; there was no one else present.

"Haru-chan," Five stated.

"Five-kun," Haru acknowledged.

Kazuki bristled.

Five ignored him and concentrated on Haru. "Ran-kun," he began.

Haru swallowed.

"I recognise how close he is to you. I do not wish to take him from you." Five smiled and Haru's stomach did something strange. "On the contrary." He reached a hand towards Haru's cheek.

Kazuki growled. "No touching," he warned.

Five spared him a glance and the hand stopped. "You and Ran-kun are both exceptional. I like exceptional." He smiled again. "Also Ran-kun is very pretty while you, Haru-chan, are breathtakingly beautiful."

Haru was frozen to the spot. His stomach was doing flip-flops. He could feel his whole body flushing. Was he getting a stiffy?

Kazuki's top lip was curling up in a snarl and his growl was more intense.

"Relax, foxy," Five advised. "I understand I have to wait. A standard for Ran-kun, longer for Haru-chan. I can do that. I am patient. Who knows? Maybe there could be room for a silver fox as well."

"In your dreams, kitty-cat," Kazuki growled but the snarl had gone.

As had Five; Haru watched the door of his room slide shut behind him.

Kazuki had hold of his arm. "Come on," he urged.

Somehow Haru managed to get up the spiral staircase and into their room. He sat on his bunk.

"What happened?" he asked.

Kazuki shook his head. "Five just hit on you." He smiled. "I admire his ambition. Imagine. Your own giant plushie to sleep with."

"He said I was beautiful," Haru realised.

"Breathtakingly beautiful," Kazuki reminded him. "I suppose it's natural for him to want a group relationship rather than being half of a couple."

A threesome with Ran and Five; Haru's imagination was working overtime. This time he definitely had a stiffy.

"You might like to see to that," Kazuki suggested. "I find in the shower is best."

* * *

The thought had been wriggling about in Shikamaru's mind for days. It had begun when he had seen the rings. First it had grown and now it wriggled, catching Shikamaru's attention again and again.

In the end he gave in. He began digging through everything he had and everything he could find about Uchiha. In doing so he discovered some unsettling facts.

Sasuke had never been declared heir. When Fugaku Uchiha had died, Itachi had still been heir. Based on tradition, Itachi had remained Fugaku Uchiha's heir until the moment he had renounced the Uchiha name.

Then there was the issue of whether Sasuke was Uchiha-sama. It had been impossible for him to go through the traditional ceremony because there were no adult full-blood Uchihas to hold it. On the other hand, Itachi had knelt to him and accepted his judgement.

And after Itachi renounced the Uchiha name there wasn't anyone else.

Until now.

After Izuna Uchiha had been lost, Uchiha had clung to the hope that their beloved leader would return. His successor and his successor's successor had refused to be called Uchiha-sama. They had even insisted that they would step aside if Izuna Uchiha was found.

His great-grandson had thought differently. He had accepted the title. The clan had finally moved on.

Unfortunately, he had omitted to declare Izuna Uchiha dead.

Shikamaru rested his forehead on his desk. That part of the code had been the same then as it was now. Once someone had been lost for a decade your heirs went through the process of declaring the person dead. Belongings and responsibilities were distributed according to the code. The will, if there was one, was enacted.

There had been the occasional cases where people had turned up alive after they had been declared dead. It didn't make any difference. Legally they were dead and that was that.

But no one had ever declared Izuna Uchiha dead.

The thought stopped wriggling and sat there smugly; still and fat. Izuna Uchiha had a better claim on the title Uchiha-sama than Sasuke.

* * *

.

* * *

One morning it happened. He stopped being Uchiha-san and started being Izuna-sama.

It had taken much less time than he had feared. He had been prepared for divisions of anonymity.

Being called 'sama' so quickly was an unexpected bonus.

It was now both easier and harder. He had become more practiced at restricting his behaviour. Knowing they were watching him helped. Every few days he added an activity to those he permitted himself: dressing himself; brushing his own hair; using cutlery other than a spoon; performing simple kata.

Reducing the outbursts made it more difficult. The manic laughter, the dancing about, the peering through his fingers and the inappropriate displays of masturbation had been ways of venting his frustration before it could build into anger.

He could not afford anger. When he became angry he lost control.

The kata helped. Each day he allowed them to become more complex.

Today he had just started when Itachi appeared. He was wearing loose pants and his feet were bare. He bowed.

"May I join you, Izuna-sama?"

How should he accept without speaking? Would they interpret a bow as him understanding Itachi's words? Was it too soon for that?

An additional room, appropriately floored and lacking in hazards, had appeared soon after he had started performing kata. He moved away from the centre of the floor, making room for Itachi to exercise beside him.

By the Lady the man could move. If he could fight even half as well he would be a formidable opponent.

Logic had identified Itachi as at least a weakness to be exploited, maybe even a potential ally. He had fallen so far. His brother had everything than should have been his. He should be a bitter, twisted maelstrom of fury.

He was not. He was calm. He appeared to be at peace. He had the respect of his crewmates. He still had the partner Orochimaru had mentioned, the sharkman, but he was also fucking the cross-dresser, Haku.

Any hope that it was a love triangle soon died; based on interactions observed and whispers overheard the three adults lived together raising two children.

No, Itachi was not the weak link. It was his brother.

Sasuke Uchiha was clan leader by default. He had not fought for it; he had never even had to prove himself worthy. He appeared to be entirely unsuitable for the role. He was, of all things, a musician.

He was obviously besotted with the fox hybrid, to the extent that it affected his judgement. Official records showed that he had even gone as far as granting Orochimaru's little hybrids the same status as his full blood Uchiha offspring.

His weakness could be used against him. He had thirteen pre-adolescent children and a beloved life-partner who had a decade to live.

How difficult could it be to persuade him to share the burden of leadership?

Particularly when it was Izuna Uchiha who was offering to bear it.

* * *

.

* * *

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	12. Investment

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, darkdragonalucard, when spells go wrong cynder81, mikako17, melissen and donalgraeme for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**12: Investment**

* * *

Sasuke studied the cards spread across his desk. On each was written a name or names. He took the one that read 'Konohamaru, Kamatari, Moegi, Biwako' and placed it to one side. They would remain his core team in Tarrasade.

Yesterday Keizo had reacted to one of the simulations that Naruto and Shika had designed to test for berserker tendencies. Sasuke had hugged his son and insisted that all would be fine.

He knew it would be; Shikamaru already had a tailored controller ready for him to try.

It was yet another sign that the kits and Ryuu were growing up fast. They may still be under twelve but developmentally they were the equivalent of purebred youngsters of fourteen. The idea that they should wait another two standards before becoming trainees was less tenable with each passing day. In his mind, Sasuke had already accepted that it would be, at most, one.

Which was why he was thinking about rearranging the crew into more flexible teams. Soon they would have to cope with an influx of seven trainees, ten if he allowed Hikaru, Hoshi and Haru to progress alongside their brothers.

Deep inside, he was sad. He had hoped his hybrid sons would be spared Naruto's burden. Maybe some of them would. Ryuu was physically the most mature yet had shown no reaction to the simulations.

He wrote the names of his captains on separate cards: Kakashi; Asuma; Gai; Inari. After a moment's consideration he added Iruka's name under Kakashi's, Tayuya's under Inari's and Tenten's under Asuma's.

Sasuke had picked up rumours about Asuma and Tenten from Keitaro before Iruka had told him. It had been a surprise because he had never been sure that Tenten was interested in men. Asuma's children seemed fine with it; there was no suggestion that they felt Tenten was trying to take their mother's place.

It had been over four standards.

He then wrote the other family groups and couples on cards.

That left the older children. Ayame got her own card, as did Keizo and Kuuya. Hoshi was with Yuki, Hikaru with Ryuu, Haru with Kazuki, and Yoshimi with Yasushi.

Finally he wrote 'Sasuke, Naruto, Takara, Teruko, Tsuneo' on one card and 'Kiba, Choza' on another. Now that Kiba had his team and the foetuses, he might not always be available to care for the triplets.

Naruto assured him that Kiba was fine with that. He wasn't as close to the triplets as he had been to the big litter.

Then, almost as an afterthought he wrote 'Izuna' on a card and placed it adjacent to his team in Tarrasade. Izuna-sama was continuing to make excellent progress. Even Rin was convinced that he was suffering from regression. Each day more skills and memories returned, particularly if he or Itachi spent time with him.

They would be home soon; their four-div tour ended. Sasuke had suggested that Izuna would be most comfortable with his own apartment within the household. Izuna had been pleased, even going as far as to pick out the area of the household he would prefer.

Sasuke guessed it was where he had lived but had not asked. Those rooms were not currently occupied and if they were Izuna's choice then he would have them. Between them, Itachi and Haku had ascertained the layout Izuna would like and the furnishings he would prefer. Instructions had been sent ahead and Asuma had promised to do what he could until Haku and Itachi arrived to supervise.

The door announcer sounded.

Sasuke activated the dedicated intercom. "Yes?"

"_It's Shikamaru."_

For a moment he considered sweeping the cards away but he stopped himself.

As he had anticipated, Shikamaru took one look at his desk and sighed. He did not comment but he did not need to; his expression said it all.

"I usually use the new data management programme," Sasuke insisted. "This is different. It's about the family."

"I can see that," Shikamaru acknowledged, leaning on the edge of the desk rather than sitting on it as he usually did.

Sasuke knew that Shikamaru never dropped by his office without a reason. "Shika?" he asked.

"I've fed more data into Haru's route finder," Shikamaru informed him.

Sasuke knew better than to ask where the data had come from. "And?" he encouraged.

"I want you to spend all of Uchiha's reserves on planets and gates."

"All of it?" Sasuke squeaked, shocked into not controlling his voice. His heart speeded up. What scheme had Shika concocted? It had to be good or he would not be suggesting taking such a risk.

"I am going to spend every credit I can drum up," Shikamaru warned him. "Once I place the order for gates the cost of any planet will quadruple and there won't be any gates available for standards."

"How many gates?" Sasuke asked, his mind boggling.

"I am suggesting Uchiha buys eleven," Shika replied.

Sasuke had not known that their reserves would stretch to that. Then he realised that Shikamaru had not answered his question. If Uchiha was buying eleven, how many was Shikamaru buying?

He decided that he did not want to know.

"Show me," he demanded, handing Shikamaru the portable interface.

It was brilliant; three gated routes opening off existing gated systems. Of the eleven systems involved, five had planets. Four of the planets had been seeded with a standardised ecology. One of the systems along each route could be reached easily from Tarrasade using the improver.

Beyond the new gated routes were even more systems and planets; Uchiha's future would be assured for generations to come.

"We're buying all the planets?" he queried.

"I've already got most of them. The routes crisscross the outer reaches of first generation Space Hopper explorations. The Central Colonial Service sold those planets to brokers millenniums ago." Shikamaru shook his head. "Thank the Lady for short-sighted officials." He smiled. "I'll sell the planets to Uchiha for what I paid for them rather than what this scheme makes them worth."

"Thank you," Sasuke acknowledged. He studied the three routes again. There were two shorter routes and one longer one. The longer one ended with one of the best systems he had ever seen. It had six planets, two of them with a standard ecology. "Is that as good as it looks?" he asked, pointing.

"It might only have one hole," Shikamaru admitted.

One hole was too easy to block. "Might?" Sasuke queried.

"The map only shows one," Shikamaru explained. "But it isn't very detailed. There could easily be another further out. We can look for it when we survey the system."

Sasuke agreed it was worth a closer look. "These are the best routes I can have for the credit I have?" he checked.

"Of course," Shikamaru assured him. "I shall always do my best for you, Sasuke-sama."

"I know you will, Shikamaru-san," Sasuke acknowledged. He could see no point in delaying. "Go ahead please."

Shikamaru blinked. "You aren't going to discuss it with the others?"

"The scheme, yes, whether we buy the gates and the planets, no." He made himself think past the commercial opportunities. The only problem he could see was if one or more the holes could not be jumped because of a physical phenomenon. "How many of the steps have never been jumped?"

"Six," Shikamaru admitted. "We'll have to survey them. I have alternatives to offer you if these routes are blocked."

Sasuke reconsidered but decided it was a minor risk. Uchiha's credit would be invested in future gates. Future gates could be moved or sold on to those in the queue to buy one.

His eyes went to the cards. Arranging the crew into teams would speed up surveying the holes. He found himself looking at Haru's name. "Could you have found all this without Haru's part of the route finder?" he asked.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Klenn left me the data but without an automated route finder it was close to useless." He looked away. "This was what we always planned to do when we cracked the problem of the route finder but we never did."

So the data had been stolen from Centre; Sasuke had suspected as much.

Shikamaru had drawn in on himself as he spoke Klennethon Darrent's name. Sasuke stood, his hand going to Shika's back to console him.

For a moment or two Shika leaned into him and Sasuke held him. Then, simultaneously, as if by unspoken agreement, they pulled apart.

"Tea?" he asked.

"No thank you," Shikamaru replied. "I promised to drop by the playroom."

They talked a bit more about Shika's plan as Sasuke made tea for one. Once the tea was poured, Shikamaru took his leave and Sasuke went back to his desk.

The cards had been moved about. Sasuke was about put them back the way they had been when he realised that the arrangement was perfect.

Trust Shika; Sasuke wondered if he had done it deliberately or subconsciously.

He had finished recording the arrangement of the cards when a message arrived from Neji. Sasuke frowned; usually Neji waited until one of their usual meeting times.

He turned the indicator light on Neji's side of the door from amber to blue.

Neji came through immediately. Sasuke could see that he was agitated.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the interface that Shikamaru had abandoned.

Sasuke nodded.

"Shino-san alerted us," Neji warned. "The story began in Tarrasade but its spreading fast via the light speed data relays. It's that reporter, Karin."

Sasuke watched. She had pictures of the pod and was speculating about who might be inside.

"How?" he grumbled.

Neji shook his head slightly. "All I can think of is that it must be a member of the first crew who picked up the signal, the affiliated one."

"The Connor," Sasuke supplied. "I suppose so. I am certain it wasn't a member of the Electron's crew." He was confident that the Electron was too loyal.

Then the woman, Karin, mentioned the name Izuna Uchiha. Sasuke flinched.

"Every time the crew go out in public they are asked about it," Neji told him. "We can block for now but..."

"We will have to think about how to deal with it in the longer term," Sasuke agreed. "I shall discuss it with Izuna-sama."

There was the slight puckering of Neji's brow that indicated a frown. "What if he wants to give an interview?"

Sasuke could not imagine anyone wanting to give an interview. "I shall discuss it with him," he repeated.

Neji nodded. "Do you want to prepare a statement?"

Sasuke considered. "No. We refuse to comment on any enquires about the pod or its contents."

Once Neji had gone he found himself incapable of settling. He did not know if it was the media speculation, his excitement at Shika's scheme or anxiety about Keizo. He made himself a list of people he needed to talk to about reorganising the crew into more flexible teams. He would start with Naruto and then Iruka or Kakashi; perhaps he should speak with Iruka and Kakashi together.

He checked the chronometer. He had promised to visit Izuna before the midmeal. If he were quick, he could catch Naruto first. He grabbed the cards and copied the diagram showing the three systems onto a tablet. Then, almost as an afterthought, he made a copy of the vids that Shino had sent.

As Sasuke had expected, Naruto was in his office. During the tour, he had made four public meetings to HDL facilities and had numerous meetings, most virtual but a few face-to-face. Sasuke knew that he was still trying to integrate all the outcomes.

The piles of papers had spread onto the floor before Iruka had suggested pockets on the wall.

Unlike all the suggestions Sasuke had made over the standards, Naruto had taken to it. One wall was covered in open document pockets, most of which contained paper. On the front of most were scrawled some characters in Naruto's round, childish script.

It did mean, for the first time ever, there was a choice of chairs to occupy.

When the door slid open it looked like the office was unoccupied. Sasuke was about to turn away when he was captured in long arms and pulled into the room.

Of course Naruto had heard him coming. Lurking at the side of the door to ambush him suggested that Naruto did not mind being disturbed.

The kiss was started light-hearted but quickly deepened. Sasuke reluctantly pulled away.

"I have something I need to discuss with you," he admitted.

Naruto settled for one last hug before releasing him.

They sat in two of the comfortable chairs to discuss Sasuke's idea of an interim stage between child and trainee, similar to what had occurred officially for Sumaru and unofficially for Ran.

"I can't bring myself to make Hikaru and Haru stay in the playroom while the other boys and Hoshi move on," Sasuke admitted.

Naruto's eyes sparkled with approval. "Papa-sama," he observed.

Sasuke felt himself flushing slightly. It was true; this was one of the decisions he was taking as a father rather than as Uchiha-sama.

Naruto leaned over and nuzzled him. "I love you," he whispered.

The thought of a quickie was tempting, but Izuna was expecting him. "Be good, dobe," he insisted. "Look at this." He activated the tablet. "Shika's latest idea is that we buy eleven gates and all these planets. He linked them together using Haru's route finder."

"When did Uchiha get rich enough to buy that many gates?"

"Since Shika has been managing the Uchiha finances for over a decade."

Naruto studied the schematic. "Some of these systems look awesome."

Sasuke agreed. "We'll be stretched but it will be worth it."

Somehow he managed to pull himself away in time. He made his way to Izuna's apartment, savouring the taste of Naruto's last kiss.

He pressed the door announcer and waited for the click of the dedicated intercom.

"_Yes?"_

"It is Sasuke," he responded, as usual.

"_Let yourself in. I am in my work room."_

They had added a gym and then the work room as Izuna-sama recovered. Three walls of the work room were covered in pin boards that were decorated with sheets of paper or, in a few cases, display frames. One wall was about Uchiha, a second about current affairs and the third historic events.

Izuna was standing when he entered. "Sasuke-sama," he acknowledged with a small bow.

"Izuna-sama," Sasuke replied, also bowing. "Should I make tea?" he offered.

Izuna smiled. "That would be excellent, if you do not mind."

Sasuke always made the tea; Izuna had made it once but it had been so bad that Sasuke had struggled to swallow it rather than spitting it out.

They talked. As usual, Izuna had a list of questions, some of the answers to which were used to annotate the pin boards. Once Sasuke had answered all of them he brought up the media coverage of the pod.

Izuna took the tablet and watched the introduction, Karin's piece and the discussion afterwards.

"I thought you said that the pod had been found by an Uchiha crew," Izuna commented.

"An affiliated crew," Sasuke clarified. "However, it is disappointing that one of the crew talked."

"Probably boasted to some whore when he had drunk too much," Izuna suggested.

"That's no excuse," Sasuke replied.

"True, but people have weaknesses and there are probably reasons why the crew has remained affiliated rather than rising to allied status," Izuna pointed out. "Anyway, what is done is done. How would you normally deal with the situation?"

"We would probably give an interview," Sasuke admitted. "In our own time and on our own terms. Certainly not to this Karin woman, because that would reward her invasion of our privacy, but to a journalist of our choosing."

Izuna nodded. "I am sure they will soon lose interest in me and go back to their usual obsession with you and Naruto-san."

Sasuke was not at all sure of that. If anything could distract the media from him, Naruto and the children it would be the resurrection of a mythical hero.

"I shall think about it," Izuna assured him. He placed his cup on the small table next to his chair and stood up. "Now for my test," he announced.

They did this each time Sasuke came. Izuna would work through pictures of the crew, trying to recall their names and a few details about each one. Each time he remembered more.

This time he started with the crew in Tarrasade.

"Asuma, senior leader; old Uchiha elite fighter; lost his partner Kurenai in the bombing; three children, Akemi, Keitaro and Misora, all sworn to Uchiha. Inari; rising star; leads missions; partner is Tayuya. Gai; old Uchiha elite fighter; middle leader; reliable. Konohamaru, your foster brother; takes the lead on Tarrasade operations. Shino, your head of communications; in a relationship with Anko. Anko and Tenten; security. Tayuya; pilot. Shizune and Moegi; medicos. You are permitting Moegi to be in a relationship with an outsider. Biwako; retired; Konohamaru's grandmother. Kamatari, Konohamaru's assistant." He smiled. "How did I do?"

"Twelve from twelve," Sasuke assured him. "Do you want to do the others?"

"Maybe the children," Izuna suggested, moving towards that section.

Sasuke suspected that Izuna was teasing him by hesitating over the names of the kits; he never actually made a mistake.

"Takara, Teruko and Tsuneo," he ended and sighed. "That is one of my greatest regrets, that I was not more involved with my children when they were young. The time goes so very quickly."

Sasuke agreed; it seemed no time at all since Haru had returned to them and the triplets had been born. Talking about the children reminded him of Iruka's request.

"Iruka-san was wondering if you would consider giving a short talk to the older children, followed by a question and answer session. Perhaps about some of the differences between known space today and then."

Izuna did not answer immediately; Sasuke thought he may refuse. Then he smiled. "It would be an honour."

"They enjoy the questions and answers most," Sasuke hinted, hoping that the lecture would not be too long, but Izuna did not respond.

"Do you know whether Shikamaru-san will be taking up my invitation to visit?" he asked instead.

It took Sasuke a moment to decide what to say. He suspected that Shika reminded Izuna of his beloved. If that was true, Sasuke was not sure if Shika visiting was a good idea. "I will mention it to him," he replied and stood up. "I must go. I have things to do before the midmeal."

Izuna also stood. "I understand. Let me show you out."

"No need," Sasuke insisted.

* * *

.

* * *

He leaned back in his chair and watched Sasuke Uchiha depart. The visit had been going well until the end.

Meeting the children would be a problem because, except for the one with deformed ears, he could not tell the fox hybrids apart. He had solved the problem by marking their images and learning which names went with which marks. Unfortunately that solution would not hold when he met them face-to-face.

He walked over and studied the pictures more closely. One had reddish hair. One had no whiskers; he almost looked purebred. The other three would be a problem. To make it worse, those three had very similar names.

Then there was Shikamaru. The nature and quality of his relationship with the genius was crucial; it would define the way in which the plan unfolded.

So far there had only been three short meetings: during his tour of the ship, at the midmeal Iruka had arranged for him to meet the senior crew and when he had been walking in the birch woods.

Each time he had suggested that Shikamaru visit him. So far Shikamaru had not responded.

His information about the genius was limited. Detailed searches had yielded meagre returns: records of a surprisingly ordinary childhood; being recruited as cat at fourteen; officially Uchiha; the genetic parent to Sasuke Uchiha's son Haru; the death of his parents; guardian to his younger sister.

Orochimaru had more but it was still little considering that Shikamaru and Haru had been in Pein's hands for five divisions. He suspected that Orochimaru was more interest in torturing his errant acolyte than extracting useful information. Apparently Shikamaru was 'The Wizard of the Data Streams', but there was no detail as to what that meant.

He got up, poured the tea away and replaced it with sake. He went to the crew's notice board and stared at Shikamaru's image. He was definitely his brother's type. He would even have liked the contrast between the unassuming exterior and what was apparently one of the best minds in known space.

He knocked back his sake. It would be so much easier if he shared his brother's attraction to men. Men, preferably young ones, were what you made do with when there were no women available.

At least Shikamaru was not ugly.

He refilled his cup and went back to Shikamaru's image. Why was he recognised as the genetic parent of one of Sasuke Uchiha's children? Why were the birch woods called 'Shikamaru's level'? Exactly how had Shikamaru escaped from Pein?

Why were Pein's woman and child with Uchiha, something of which Orochimaru had been unaware?

He allowed himself a small smile. How rich was Uchiha if they could indulge in such frivolity as those woods?

Then any urge to smile vanished. He should spend more time walking in the woods. Even if he did not run into Shikamaru, it would establish that they both liked birch trees.

Not that he did.

He would go to the woods the next day and each day after that until they reached Tarrasade. Once they arrived home he would have to find other ways of interacting with Shikamaru.

He was going home but not to the home he had known. The Uchiha Compound would have changed beyond recognition over the centuries. It would be alien; ruined.

But being there was an essential component of the plan, as was the woman; Karin.

He drained his cup and poured himself another. Overall it was going well.

He was making excellent progress with Sasuke Uchiha, who was ridiculously easy to manipulate. One appalling cup of tea had ensured that the younger man always served him. Saying that he wished to learn about the crew yielded endless opportunities to interrogate him. The notice boards allowed him to think about his plan without leaving an electronic data trail.

Each visit he made sure he got in at least one of the three key messages: he wished he had spent more time with his children when they were young; he regretted not prioritising his lover before death separated them; leadership was about duty and service.

He imagined standards of uttering such mealy-mouthed codswallop and shuddered. Hopefully the opportunity he needed would present itself sooner rather than later.

* * *

.


	13. Plans

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

Thanks, as always, to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, darkdragonalucard, when spells go wrong cynder81, mikako17, melissen and donalgraeme for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**13: Plans**

* * *

Iruka-sensei fixed Haru with a stern look as he took his place between Kazuki and Hoshi. For a split moment Haru thought he must be late; he had been so sure he was early.

"Two questions at the most, Haru-chan," Iruka-sensei warned him. "That's one question and a follow up or two separate questions."

Haru was relieved that he had not done anything wrong. "I understand, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka-sensei turned to the others. "No questions about Madara," he reminded them.

There was a ragged response but Haru's attention had gone to Ran and Five, who had just walked through the door.

Hoshi nudged Yuki. They and Ayame moved along two places, which meant that Ran would sit next to Haru and one of them could sit next to Five.

Haru wasn't surprised that it was Yuki. Hoshi and Ayame had started to lose interest now it looked like Five was male-only.

Then Izuna-sama came in with Papa and they all stood up.

He looked very like Papa, even more so than Itachi-san.

They all bowed. "Izuna-sama," they chorused.

He gave a nod. "Children. Trainees." He then bowed a little lower. "Iruka-san, thank you for asking me to speak."

Iruka bowed in return. "Izuna-sama."

The talk was a bit boring but Izuna-sama had a nice voice. At the end Hoshi asked her question, followed by Hikaru. Then Iruka-sensei called on Yuki.

Yuki stood up and bowed. "Izuna-sama. What is the biggest difference you have noticed so far between now and then?" he asked.

"Thank you, Yuki-chan. What an interesting question. I think control technology. You have processors, like little computers, in so many things." He smiled. "Even the head has one. In my day there was one computer in each ship. It was in the control room and it was used for specific calculations, like jumps. Otherwise everything was controlled directly by human, rather than through programmed processors."

Haru knew that integrating processors into machines other than computers had been considered dangerous; a step too close to artificial intelligence.

Kazuki was next. He asked about the Uchiha uniform.

Izuna-sama smiled. "We didn't have one, Kazuki-chan. Just the badge, which was like your crest now."

The rest of the questions were also about everyday life. Haru was beginning to wish he had asked his question at the start, like Hoshi and Hikaru.

Iruka-sensei kept looking at him. In the end he raised his hand.

"Haru-chan," Izuna-sama acknowledged.

He stood, bowed, and made his request. "Please could you tell us about what Tarrasade was like then, Izuna-sama?"

It was like listening to a completely different person. Izuna-sama obviously loved Tarrasade. He talked about how hard it had been to gather together enough resources to develop the Uchiha compound as part of the new Level 1 and how proud he had been of the result.

"Are you looking forward to going home, Izuna-sama?" Ayame asked.

"Yes and no, Ayame-chan," Izuna-sama admitted. "My heart says it is my home but my head tells me it has been expanded and rebuilt. It may not feel like home at all."

Haru imagined what Izuna-sama was feeling and felt sad for him.

Maybe Iruka-sensei was thinking the same because he wound up the session, Hoshi delivered a nice speech thanking Izuna-sama, they all clapped politely and he left with Papa.

"He's just a person," Kazuki mourned when he and Haru were in their usual alcove. "Like Itachi-san but a bit taller." He flicked his ears and twitched his whiskers. "He was boring."

"Not about Tarrasade," Haru pointed out.

Kazuki gave him a look. "That was this much..." He held up finger and thumb a small distance apart. "...less boring."

Haru knew that Ka-chan's expectations had been ridiculously high; when they had been little he had always wanted to be Izuna Uchiha in the games they played. He was casting about for a way of comforting him, or at least distracting him, when Iruka-sensei put his head around the corner.

"Sasuke-sama and Naruto-san are coming down to speak with you all before the midday meal. It will be in the seminar room."

All thought of Izuna-sama vanished. Iruka-sensei always said 'your Papa' and 'your To-chan'. What was going on?

Whatever it was, it was serious because Kiba-san and Iruka-sensei were there too. Haru's heart sped up and his stomach started to knot.

Finally everyone was sitting down and Papa began.

"All ten of you are the same calendar age but the truth is that you are growing up at different rates. First I thought about keeping you all here, in the playroom, until you turned fourteen, but that would not be fair. Then I thought about letting the more mature of you move on but splitting up the litter didn't feel right."

Papa looked at To-chan, who looked back and nodded.

"We've decided to allow you to be pre-trainees once you are twelve," Papa told them. "We're not quite sure what pre-trainees do yet but it will mean spending your days with the crew rather than here in the playroom. Like the trainees, Iruka-sensei will oversee your activities, which will be a mixture of duties, training and studying. To help us sort out how it is going to work we will be talking to each of you."

It sounded good to Haru; he might get to spend more time with Ran. He glanced about. The others looked happy and excited.

"We wanted to tell you all together before talking to each of you over the next few days," Papa concluded. "Now off you go. Haru-chan, is there anything you need to do before the midmeal?"

"No Papa," Haru admitted. The knot in his stomach came back. Why him? Was this his interview about what he wanted? He would have liked more time to think about it.

They walked side-by-side towards Papa's office. They discussed what Izuna-sama had said but Haru recognised that it was small talk.

Instead of going into Papa's office they stopped in front of the door to Neji-san and Shi-chan's. Papa pressed the door announcer. There was a pause and then Neji-san's voice.

"_This is a recorded message from Neji. I am not in the office. Shika-san is and won't mind if you go in."_

Haru guessed that Shi-chan was in the data streams.

They went in. Shikamaru was in his chair wearing goggles, earpieces and a control wire glove on his left hand.

"How do you get his attention?" Papa asked.

Haru pulled a small portable interface from his pocket, connected wirelessly to Shi-chan's system and activated an avatar. Within a few seconds Shi-chan sent him an acknowledgement.

Haru pocketed the interface. "It'll take him a couple of minutes to come out," he warned.

Papa nodded.

As soon as he took his goggles off Shi-chan coloured. He pulled out his earpieces. "I apologise, Sasuke-sama, I did not realise that you were also waiting."

"It is fine Shika-san; I did not suggest to Haru that he should tell you. I want you to show Haru the systems we are going to establish. I think he should be one of the first people to know, because we couldn't have done it without his modification to the route finder."

Shi-chan nodded and made a few sweeps with his left hand to activate the projectors. "Grab seats," he suggested.

Haru wished Papa would not keep mentioning the route finder; he still felt guilty taking all the credit for it.

Then he saw the string of four systems linked by five gates. Two of the systems had planets and three of the eight planets had a standardised ecology. Was Uchiha going to own and develop that? If so, he no longer cared how he had got the route finder to work, only that it did.

"The planets were almost worthless while they were at the end of a thirty or forty long string of jumps," Shi-chan began.

Haru knew that. Ten jumps was the maximum. If the route was going to be gated, five or less was realistic; gates were too expensive.

"We had Space Hoppers' data about thousands of systems that were too far out to be worth developing," Shi-chan continued. "It was always possible that some of the excellent systems could be accessed by better routes but it would have taken me decades to find even a fraction of them. Your modification to the route finder meant we analysed all the data within a few days. After that it was a matter of selecting the best for gating."

"We have bought the planets and ordered the gates," Papa told him. "Show him the others, Shika-san."

Haru blinked; others?

Shi-chan brought up two other, shorter, strings, both of which had planets.

"We own these too?" Haru asked.

"All the planets," Papa confirmed. "The gates are ordered. It's a huge breakthrough for us, Ha-chan, and you played a big part in making it happen."

Haru was imagining what was involved in developing a system from scratch.

"We'll leave Shika-san to go back into the data streams," Papa said.

"Use Neji's door," Shi-chan suggested.

Haru would have liked to spend more time studying the three strings but Shi-chan had already deactivated the projectors. Papa led the way through the doorway and gestured towards one of the comfortable chairs. Papa sat opposite him.

"Haru, what is Uchiha's greatest asset?"

Even with eighteen new planets in gated systems there was only one answer to that. "Shi-chan," he replied without hesitation.

"Exactly. Although every member of Uchiha is unique and valuable, he is the only one of us who is utterly irreplaceable. That influences my decisions where he is concerned. I have to minimise the risk of losing him or that someone else will take him." He smiled. "I confess I rarely let him leave the protection of the Oak or the household."

Haru knew that. Shi-chan grumbled about it but Haru did not think he minded that much. He had the data streams and there were all those places in his mind.

"What is Uchiha's second greatest asset?" Papa asked.

Haru's mind immediately went to the new planets before skidding to a stop. Papa was suggesting that it was him. Suddenly the consequences of taking credit for what Sai had done were back and they were huge.

"Me?" he checked, hoping he was wrong.

His Papa smiled at him and nodded.

"But I'm nothing like Shi-chan," Haru objected. "He does it all in his head and I use computers."

"It's not the computers that make the difference, Haru, it's you," Papa insisted. "Your problem solving skills are phenomenal. You've been doing it since you were tiny. How old were you when you thought of spraying Lee with pheromones so that he could get close to Gaara after he was tortured? Three?"

Haru had no memory of doing that, just as he had no memory putting Nakama into Shi-chan's crystal data array.

"All I am saying, Haru, is that there may be times when I allow your brothers and sister to be exposed to greater risk than you. When that happens, it won't be because I am your father. As your father I love all of you and want to keep each of you safe. It will be as Uchiha-sama, because, typed-genius or not, you solve problems other people, even Shika-san, cannot."

"The route finder was a combination of Shi-chan, Klenn-sensei and me," Haru pointed out, adding 'and Sai' in his head.

Papa was frowning at him. "Shika-san can solve problems working with you that he cannot solve without you. Agreed?"

Haru could live with that. "Yes."

"And you would enjoy being in Shika-san's research and development team with Inryoku-san, Enerugi-san, Kotetsu-san and Rin-san?"

Haru wasn't sure if Rin-san would be happy to see him there. "Yes, Papa." He imagined it. "It would be awesome." He pulled himself back to the present. "I would like to visit some planets and space stations."

"When the risk can be managed to make it acceptable," Papa conceded. "You know, Haru, I do not think Shika-san enjoys leading the research and development team."

That was one way of looking at it. Haru would have said that no one actually led the research and development team. If there was a problem to solve or a project to work on they got on with it but there was almost no overall structure to the process unless Izumo-san was involved. If the problem was urgent, Shi-chan took everything the others could give him in the time available and came up with a solution by thinking about it.

"He wouldn't mind if someone else took on that role," Papa hinted.

Haru imagined Rin-san's expression if he tried to tell her what to do. "Maybe when I grow up?" he suggested.

"Maybe when you become a full member of the crew in about five standards' time."

Five standards' time was reassuringly far away. "Maybe," he agreed.

Papa stood up. "We had better move, or we will be late for the midmeal."

The others were chattering about what might or might not be possible as pre-trainees; Papa's announcement had completely trumped Izuna-sama's talk. Haru half-listened to what they were saying. He was also thinking about what Papa had said. Did he want to do what Papa was suggesting? Did he have a choice?

He was still thinking about in the playroom that afternoon. He went to the alcove that he usually shared with Kazuki. It was empty; Ka-chan was off doing something active. He sat, stared at the wall, and tried to work out why it felt so weird.

"Haru?"

He suddenly realised that Hoshi was trying to get his attention. She had been standing in his field of view and he had not even registered her presence.

"At last," she observed. "What did Papa want? Was it about what you are going to do as a pre-trainee?"

"Yes and no," Haru decided. "Shi-chan has been using the route finder and they told me about that." He did not mention the three strings of planets; Papa would want to tell everyone about that. "Then we went into his office and..." He paused wondering whether he could put what he was thinking into words. "He told me that my future was being like Shi-chan, but with a team."

Hoshi blinked at him. "He didn't ask you?"

Haru thought about it. "He asked me what I thought about it," he replied. He wished he knew what he did think; with each passing minute he was less sure. "It's for the good of Uchiha. My choices have to be restricted because of my problem solving skills."

Hoshi nodded. "It was inevitable once you made the route finder work."

Haru wished it had been so clear to him; all he had been doing was solving a problem for Shi-chan.

"You could always not swear to Uchiha," Hoshi suggested.

"No I can't," he snapped. "Even if I was willing to disappoint Papa like that, Ran is already sworn."

"You and Ran might not end up together," Hoshi reminded him.

When he had woken up that morning it had all been so simple: Ran was sworn; he would swear; they would spend their lives together; it was what he wanted.

So why had what Papa said made a difference?

"Ran is my best friend. It doesn't matter if we aren't lovers. We can be like Shi-chan and To-chan."

"It would be nothing like To-chan and Shi-chan," Hoshi argued. "To-chan is bonded to Papa. He didn't choose Papa over Shika-san. It just is, like gravity. Ran would be choosing someone over you. You would hate that. Look what you were like when you thought Five might take him away from you."

Haru didn't want to think about that. "This isn't about me and Ran. It's about what Papa said."

There was an uneasy silence between them.

"I'm scared he'll push me into being a professional musician," Hoshi admitted.

Haru suddenly realised that the conversation wasn't only about him, it was also about Hoshi. "You don't want that?"

"I love music," Hoshi admitted, "but I love Uchiha more."

Haru found himself smiling. "Just say that to him, Ho-chan."

She smiled back. "Do you think so? Won't he be disappointed?"

"How could he be?" Haru assured her.

"Thanks, Haru."

"Anytime."

She started to walk away but then turned back. "I think spending your life solving problems with Shika-san would suit you just fine, Ha-chan. You would have so much fun."

He watched her walk way. She was right. It was like he had said to Papa; working with Shi-chan and the others would be awesome. Given a free choice, that was probably what he would have chosen.

So why did he feel like this?

He hadn't got much further by the evening and the four of them were gathered in Ran's room.

"Haru's been off in his head since he had his talk with Papa," Kazuki told Ran.

"I do not understand," Sai complained.

"He's been distracted," Kazuki clarified.

Ran was looking at him.

"Papa has decided that all ten of us will become something they are calling pre-trainees when we are twelve," Haru explained.

"Which is great," Kazuki insisted, "because being in the playroom is boring."

"Which is great," Haru agreed. "Anyway, he said he wanted to talk with each of us and he started with me." He took a deep breath. "He said that I was an asset, like Shi-chan, and that restricted what I could be allowed to do."

"And you don't think you are an asset like Shika-san," Ran observed, "because Sai helped you sort out the route finder but Sasuke-sama and Shika-san believe you did it on your own."

Haru immediately felt better. That was exactly it. It wasn't the future Papa had picked out for him, or that Papa had not consulted him, or that he wouldn't have the freedom that Ka-chan and others might have. It was that Papa thought he could do things that he couldn't.

"I only speeded things up," Sai stated. "All the decisions were Haru's."

"But it was you that made the difference," Haru insisted. "If you had been working with Klenn-sensei, he would have solved the problem."

"I think that is unlikely," Sai replied. "The individual called Klennethon Darrent worked on the problem for at least a decade, probably much longer as the device called an improver was fully developed fifteen standards ago. As I merely speeded the process up, I propose that computational speed was not the limiting factor."

"I can't see that any of the decisions I made were particularly special," Haru argued.

"I disagree," Sai stated. "After analysing the process, I have concluded that your unique contribution was the novel application of three different branches of pure mathematics. I have found no evidence that these branches of mathematics have been applied to any real-world situations other than by you. This is, by definition, a typed-five genius behaviour."

"But..." Haru objected.

"Stop it!" Ka-chan ordered. "If Sai says it was genius level behaviour, why can't you accept it? He isn't saying it to make you feel better. He hasn't got a clue about that kind of stuff."

Haru had to concede that Kazuki had a point there. "Papa still thinks I did it on my own," he objected.

"Then tell him about Sai," Ran challenged.

"I can't!" Haru replied. "You know that."

"Then you have to live with it," Kazuki told him. "Even without Sai, Papa would've been giving you the same talk. Genius, blah, blah, blah. Can't risk losing you, blah, blah, blah. Work with Shika-san, blah, blah, blah. Which, I would like to point out, has been your favourite way to spend your time since... ...since forever."

"I agree," Ran added quickly.

"Me too," Sai contributed, "if I understand the use of 'blah' and accept that Kazuki is using 'forever' in a colloquial manner."

Haru didn't know if he felt picked on, or comforted, or both.

"Do you want a cuddle?" Ran asked.

Haru nodded and crawled across the bed to where Ran was sitting with his back against the wall. He burrowed under Ran's arm and laid his head on his chest. Ran held him and stroked his hair.

He listened to Ran's heartbeat and Ka-chan deciding what he was going to tell Papa during their talk.

Perhaps he should have mentioned some things other than wanting to visit planets and space stations.

Maybe he should make a list.

* * *

.


	14. Prize

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me. He's been having a tough time lately but he always responds when I send him a chapter. Thank you!

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong cynder81, mikako17, melissen, donalgraeme and darkdragonalucard for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**14: Prize**

* * *

.

* * *

The apartment was most satisfactory. Not only was it in precisely the location he had specified but everything was right; the objects, their placement and the harmony of the whole.

Haku had done an admirable job of his rooms on the Oak but this was impressive.

He was no longer annoyed that Haku and Itachi had left the Oak early, picked up by the Dart. At the time he had been irritated to be left in the care of Dan, who lacked Haku and Itachi's immaculate manners, but the sacrifice was now worth it.

"There were many items to choose between in the storerooms, Izuna-sama. I do not think Uchiha has ever thrown anything away." Haku informed him.

They had. He knew that Uchiha had systematically purged the household of everything he had owned. Not that the household had contained furniture and fittings of such exceptional quality in his time; every credit had been invested in building the compound.

If he had been able to afford it, he would have purchased or commissioned objects like these.

"It is beautiful, Haku-san. Thank you. Please convey my gratitude to Itachi-san."

"I shall do so and you are welcome, Izuna-sama. It is very important to Sasuke-sama that you have suitable accommodation and are comfortable."

He did not miss the message; Haku was doing this for Sasuke, not for him and not for Uchiha.

Haku was sworn to Sasuke, as were Itachi and Naruto; he had yet to discover if there were others. Kisame had been personally sworn to Itachi. Itachi was no longer Uchiha, but he doubted that negated Kisame's loyalty.

He was not sure which was the more terrifying; Kisame with his obvious strength and pointed teeth or Naruto with his sparkling blue eyes and winning smile.

He did know that both of them had to be far away and preferably dead before he made his move.

Shikamaru, thank the Lady, was sworn to Uchiha.

"We did manage to find one piece of furniture that we knew you owned, Izuna-sama," Haku said as he opened the door to the room that had been set aside as his study.

It was Izuna's desk. The shock of seeing it was so great that he almost stumbled. "I am stunned, Haku-san," he managed.

Haku gifted him with a small smile. "Sasuke-sama insisted. He even had Shino-san strip out all the records that dated from after you were lost. It is as close as we could make it to how you left it."

"Other people have used it?" he asked.

"Every leader of Uchiha," Haku confirmed. "Even Sasuke-sama used it for a time, but decided to put it into storage because it reminded members of the crew of his father. Fugaku Uchiha was a cruel man."

Fugaku Uchiha had been a sadistic tyrant who had twisted his eldest son until he snapped and committed mass murder. However, as a person who had been in a pod since the first generation of Uchiha he would have no knowledge of such things. "I do not wish to make any of the crew uncomfortable," he replied, hoping that Haku did not take him at his word and remove the desk.

"What better way to redeem the desk than to return it to its original owner?" Haku replied. "Not my words," he admitted. "Sasuke-sama's. You have seen each of the rooms, Izuna-sama. Is there anything else that you need?"

He wondered what Haku would say if he asked for a blow job. Not that he would dare; he could not see either Itachi or Kisame seeing the humour in any such request. "No, thank you Haku-san."

"Then may I make a suggestion, Izuna-sama?"

He gestured that Haku should proceed.

"I wondered if you would like to be taken on a tour of the compound while we unpacked your things. Konohamaru-san has volunteered to make himself available."

Konohamaru was Sasuke's foster brother and the key member of the crew for Tarrasade; an early meeting with him would be useful. "That is an excellent suggestion, Haku-san, and most considerate of Konohamaru-san."

"I shall contact Kono-san at once," Haku informed him. "Will you be attending the meal this evening? Sasuke-sama is making an announcement to the crew and I know that he would like you to be included."

Sasuke had already mentioned it. "I would not miss it, Haku-san," he replied, which was true; it was essential that he should become accepted by the crew.

Konohamaru proved to be a physically unimposing young man who made a better impression as soon as he opened his mouth.

"I wish I could show you the whole compound, Izuna-sama," he admitted when they were in the Hall. "Unfortunately that will not be possible as there are outsiders in the new headquarters. I have arranged for certain corridors to be cleared, so that you can see some of it."

"Thank you, Konohamaru-san," he replied. He liked the Hall. He would keep the Hall as it was. The doors were particularly nice.

They walked along corridors, through security doors and up stairways, ending up in a very large, modern and impressive office.

"I know it is a bit much," Konohamaru admitted, "but some of the people I meet here expect it."

His eyes were drawn to the far wall, which was made of glass. Was that part of a tree beyond it?

"The glass is one way," Konohamaru assured him. "No one will be able to see you."

He approached it and looked out. They were halfway up one side of a huge square and in the middle was the biggest tree he had ever seen.

"It's hard to appreciate it from here," Konohamaru was saying, "so I found this projection."

He dragged his eyes from the tree to the three dimensional model that sprang into existence over the large table at one side of the room.

It was amazing. They were on the middle floor of Uchiha Headquarters, a huge glass-fronted edifice bearing the Uchiha crest. Two other sides of the square had small shops and eateries on the lowest level and offices arranged in two tiers above.

The fourth wall was interrupted by an opening and beyond that was a...

He walked back to the window. Yes, it was more woods.

"The park," Konohamaru told him. "That is the public part but there is a private side just for us. I was planning on heading there next."

He nodded; momentarily stunned into silence by the blatant, if tasteful, display of wealth.

"Whose idea was the tree?" he managed as they left the office and headed back the way they had come.

"Shika-san's. He likes trees," Konohamaru replied.

The park was like the woods on the Oak only it had a greater variety of trees and he could hear birds. There was an onsen, a pond and a tree house for the children.

All because Shikamaru liked trees; he was struggling to understand why Sasuke indulged Shikamaru so.

"You must know Sasuke-sama well, having been together as children," he suggested.

Konohamaru's expression changed; he looked suspicious, almost hostile.

He tried a smile. "He seems a prudent person, not inclined towards excess." He gestured to encompass the trees. "Yet there woods here and on the Oak."

Konohamaru laughed. "You are right. Sasuke did not pay for them. Shika-san did."

So Shikamaru had his own resources; it would appear that the concept of being sworn to Uchiha had changed.

"There he is now," Konohamaru pointed out. "I didn't think it would be long before he came to say hello to the trees."

He looked and saw Shikamaru. There was a child with him; the sister he had care of since the Orochimaru reprint had arranged for the Uchiha Compound to be bombed.

Orochimaru had been apologetic about that; apparently the print had been reckless and the reprint worse.

The child was running towards them.

"Kono-san, Kono-san, I haven't seen you in ages!" she accused.

Konohamaru gave a small bow to excuse himself and went to meet her. "It is good to see you, too, Su-chan, but I am busy showing Izuna-sama around the compound."

It was too good an opportunity to miss. "Perhaps we could swap, Konohamaru-san," he suggested. "You could spend a little time with Sumiko-chan and Shikamaru-san could walk me back to my apartment."

The child turned to her brother. "Please, Nii-san."

He studied Shikamaru watching Konohamaru leave with the child, who was chattering about things that had happened on the Oak.

"I was admiring the trees, Shikamaru-san," he began. "I understand that they are yours."

"No, they are Uchiha's. A gift."

"Some would say, Shikamaru-san, that you were both given and receiver."

Brown eyes turned to him. "Sasuke-sama knows what I am, Izuna-sama."

He wondered what Shikamaru meant by that but decided to let it rest. It was more important to gauge whether his planned seduction had any chance of success. "Perhaps you could introduce me to the trees as we walk, Shikamaru-san."

Even discounting the time in stasis, it had been a long time since he had pursued anyone. He started with the simplest of techniques: deepening and enriching his voice; using Shikamaru's name; trespassing into his personal space; making eye contact. Shikamaru definitely responded to his voice, there was a softening of his stance and his pupils dilated, but seemed oblivious to the rest.

Then there was the way Shikamaru phased in and out. Most of the time he appeared slightly disconnected. Sometimes he drifted even further away, although he never lost track of the conversation.

And once, just for a moment, he was utterly present, which was breathtaking.

It was a familiar pattern of behaviour; his brother's lover had been like that.

"You remind me of him," he stated.

There was another flash of the true Shikamaru. Intense brown eyes met his gaze for a split second before going to the rings on both their fingers and then back.

"I could stop wearing the ring," he offered. "Sasuke would give me another."

He noted that in moments of absolute honesty it was 'Sasuke' rather than 'Sasuke-sama'. "Thank you, Shikamaru-san, but I do not think it is the ring," he replied, taking full advantage of Shikamaru's attention to make eye contact and smile.

It was too much. Shikamaru's gaze went distant. He thrust his hands deep into his pockets, introducing a slouch into his walk, and began talking non-stop about the technical challenges of establishing the trees.

He suppressed his irritation; it was useful to have discovered one of Shikamaru's limits.

By the time they were leaving the park he had heard more than enough about trees and was determined to take the conversation in a new direction.

"I understand from Sasuke-sama that you lead Uchiha's research and development team, Shikamaru-san."

Shikamaru smiled. "I think that 'lead' may be an exaggeration, Izuna-sama. I am not cut out to be a leader."

The smile was a surprise. It would appear that the encounter could still be useful, if not for seduction than for research.

"So leadership is not a 'typed-seven' genius behaviour?" he asked. "I confess to not being familiar with the notion of typed-genius, Shikamaru-san. I do not believe that the concept had been developed in my time. Could you indulge my interest?"

"It's a Centralite idea," Shikamaru began. "Centralites do not celebrate difference but they do value intelligence. Children who are different are usually given therapy to bring their difference within the normal range. This is not done if they reach one of the thresholds that defines a typed-genius. Instead of being given therapy, typed-geniuses are removed from their families and raised in controlled environments. This is so that they will be as useful as possible without disrupting the smooth running of society.

"Once Centre had the definitions and the tests they began looking for typed-geniuses outside Centre. Once an individual, usually a child, is identified, they are transported to Centre to spend the rest of his or her life in the Institute of Psychology on Centre I."

"So you have never officially been tested, Shikamaru-san."

"No. Only Centre administers the tests and I do not wish to be transported to Centre I."

This was interesting. Orochimaru referred to Shikamaru as 'Uchiha's typed-seven', which had suggested that it was common knowledge. He wondered if Centre was that inattentive or whether they considered Shikamaru beneath their interest. "You think that they would want you, Shikamaru-san," he suggested.

"They collect typed-geniuses," Shikamaru replied. "Functional typed-sevens are rare. It is likely that they would commit considerable resources if there was even a chance of acquiring one."

"Functional typed-sevens?" he queried, keen to keep Shikamaru talking.

"Sane typed-sevens," Shikamaru clarified. "Most of them are disconnected from reality."

"And typed-sevens...?"

"Detect connections other people cannot," Shikamaru told him. "Here we are, Izuna-sama."

They had reached the outer door of his apartment just as the conversation had got interesting.

Shikamaru bowed. "Until the evening meal, Izuna-sama."

He inclined his head in return. "Thank you for your company, Shikamaru-san. Until then."

He watched the ordinary-looking young man walk away. Then he entered and checked each room. He was alone. The belongings he had acquired while on the Oak had been neatly arranged in the cupboards and chests.

He made his way to the study and sat at the desk, running his hand across the surface. What would his brother have said if he had been told that his simple workstation would become a symbol of power?

For a moment he closed his eyes and saw Izuna's smile.

He was almost sure that this apartment was camera and microphone free. He had been repeatedly assured that the cameras in his rooms on the Oak had only been used when he had required a high level of care.

Sasuke Uchiha was far too honourable and trusting for his own good; very like the original owner of the desk.

However, it was possible that one of his advisors could have persuaded him to put the newcomer's goodwill to the test; maybe Kakashi, who was shrewd, or Neji, who was too enigmatic to second-guess.

If so, it would be better to act out a scene now than be caught later.

He knew it was still there. Orochimaru had checked for him; it had been one of the purposes of the raid on the household. His eyes scanned the wall, picking out the familiar features.

It was the same for space stations throughout known space. Most walls were merely partitions. Moving such walls was trivial. A few, like this one, were structural. Behind the panelling were struts and beams and pillars. Some ran the height and breadth of the compound. A few ran even further, anchoring Level 1 to Level 6.

One was not what it appeared. It had been built with a different purpose in mind.

He walked to the exact location and pressed the precise parts of the wall in the correct order. As the panel sprang open he laughed for the benefit of any observers, imitating the sound he thought a man might make if he had rediscovered a childhood toy.

He resisted the urge to investigate further. Instead he closed the panel, being careful to trap a single hair between it and the rest of the wall. He smoothed the protruding end so that it ran along the join in the panelling. Even Haku at his most observant would be unlikely to see it.

If the hair was undisturbed after five days he would proceed.

They sent the oldest of the cats, Misora, to escort him to the evening meal.

She was slim with small, pert breasts and curves that made his fingers itch to grope and fondle. Perhaps it was not such a bad idea to allow female spacers; at least he had fuel for his fantasies.

He imagined her in one of Haku's kimonos, first naked between the outer layer of silk and then cocooned in layer after layer of traditional garments, waiting to be unwrapped.

Maybe it was a good thing that the 'trainees' were not available to the crew; he was not sure he could pretend to be male-only with such delicacies on the table.

He should speak to her; he needed to get to know the crew.

"I understand from Sasuke-sama that you are doing very well, Misora-kun." He only just remembered to call her 'kun' rather than 'chan', which sounded ridiculous but, apparently, was expected. "I expect that you will soon be promoted."

She flushed prettily, which supplied more images for his fantasy but also stiffened his cock. He willed it away. He did not want to be in a room with hybrids that could smell his arousal, or the faux Hyuga who would see it, or the little empath, Ran, who could probably feel it.

"It is kind of you to say so, Izuna-sama."

"Have you decided on your area of specialisation, Misora-kun?"

"Not really, Izuna-sama. I think perhaps communications."

"I am sure you will do well whatever you decide," he replied, keeping it simple.

The rest of the household was pleasant and comfortable; almost homely. Over the centuries, during his brief awakenings, he had tried to find out what it was like inside the Uchiha Compound. He would examine accounts that had been harvested while he slept. Occasionally the current Orochimaru print would have caught an Uchiha to play with and he would watch video of him answering questions.

None of them described anything like this. This was unexpectedly close to what Izuna had wanted for his family.

The thought crept into his mind that Sasuke was more like his brother than he had been willing to admit. He had thought him more staid, more formal, but seeing Sasuke in the inner household, with his children and his lover, changed that.

There was that smile that lurked in his eyes and occasionally crept to his lips.

Today it was obvious. His eyes were sparkling. He was excited about whatever announcement he was planning to make.

They sat around the huge table in the kitchen. Sasuke sat at the head of the table with Naruto on his left and Iruka at his right.

He, as guest of honour, was given the place opposite. Haku was on his left and Itachi on his right.

Even the younger children were there, allowed to stay up for the big announcement.

And it proved to be big; huge; prodigious; colossal. Ten systems arranged in three strings. Five had planets. Eighteen planets in all; four were thought to have a standard ecology.

Eleven gates; Uchiha could afford eighteen planets and eleven gates.

He tried to keep observing despite the shock. There was something peculiar about how they had defined the routes. A route finder was mentioned and 'sub-optimal' holes. Apparently the sub-optimal holes allowed them to take shortcuts, because they talked about being able to jump into systems further along the strings.

He had thought that they had made it back to Tarrasade abnormally quickly.

Then Sasuke said it. They needed to jump the routes and survey the systems. If Sasuke himself was going, it might provide the opportunity he required.

"I think our tour established that we can stay in touch," Sasuke continued. "And we have the Dart to redistribute personnel if that is required."

"Are you saying that you fancy going exploring, Sasuke-sama?" Asuma asked.

Sasuke looked to his left, at Naruto. "Not me, but someone else might. Also, it would be a wonderful experience for our youngsters."

He sat there, listening to them talk and supplying appropriate, if brief, responses. All the systems at the far ends of the strings were possibilities.

He must find out more about the 'sub-optimal' holes, the shortcuts, the route finder and how Uchiha managed to communicate over long distances.

Uchiha would be his. All of it: the compound he had coveted for so long; the ships with their Mulligan drives; the eleven gates and eighteen planets displayed before him; even the typed-seven genius.

It would belong to Madara Uchiha.

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	15. Moving on

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong cynder81, mikako17, melissen, donalgraeme, darkdragonalucard, embagshot and Fluff175 for reviewing Leader.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**15: Moving on**

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Haru burrowed under the covers, hugging his second pillow close.

It had been the best birth anniversary ever.

He had been worried that the others might want something different. Not that he had said anything; he had thought it would make him look babyish. Then, five days ago, Hoshi had said it for him.

"This is going to be the last birth anniversary we share as children. Let's make the most of it."

So they had and everything had been perfect: from the new tops to the tea caddy; from dancing with To-chan to picnicking in the park. They had spent the afternoon in the most fabulous simulation Shi-chan had ever created and their cake had been the biggest and gooiest ever.

Ka-chan's head appeared over the edge of the upper bunk. He twitched his whiskers. "Happy?"

"Very," Haru admitted.

There was a tap at their door. Ka-chan's head vanished.

It was To-chan. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course," Kazuki answered while Haru just smiled.

To-chan said goodnight to Kazuki and then sat on the edge of Haru's bunk. Gentle fingers combed his hair before a whiskery kiss was placed on his forehead.

"It was a wonderful birth anniversary, To-chan," Haru whispered. "Thank you."

To-chan smiled at him. "Thank you, Haru-chan. It has been a beautiful day. I shall remember it always. Your Papa is going to play. Do you want the door open or shut? Ka-chan does not mind."

Ka-chan would hear it anyway. "Open please, To-chan."

Through the open doorway he could see Papa playing and To-chan sitting beside him. The music was beautiful. His eyes closed and he drifted away.

The next morning he woke to his new life. The first thing he saw was Ka-chan pulling on one of his new shirts. He was already wearing proper long pants and soft, low boots.

It looked weird.

"Am I late?" he asked.

Kazuki smiled. "Not this time. I'm going to try to catch Kiba-san at breakfast."

Haru had expected to fall back to sleep but he didn't. Instead he thought about Ka-chan realising that Kiba-san might feel bad about them leaving the nursery.

Ka-chan did stuff like that these days. Maybe he always had. He had always been there for Haru.

He pulled himself out of bed, through the shower and into some clothes. All the children's clothes had gone, so he didn't have any other choice than to wear something different. Haku-san had asked what he wanted and he had asked for pants with loops for his belt and lots of pockets. Since he had not specified anything else, Haku-san had made everything grey or blue so it would match.

It made deciding what to wear easy; he grabbed the first pair of pants and top that he saw.

It was early; if he turned up in the kitchen people would start asking if he was all right. Instead he settled at his desk and put in his wireless earpiece.

Sai's voice was there immediately.

"Will you move into your new room today?" he asked.

Haru understood why Sai was so eager. Both his new rooms, the one here and the one on the Oak, were fitted with projectors. Sai said that they treated him differently when his avatar was projected life-sized.

Maybe they did.

"You'll have to ask to come in, like with Ran," Haru reminded him.

"I shall remember," Sai promised.

Which did not mean he would do it; Sai had started to play more with language lately.

"See that you do," Haru replied with mock severity. "Or I'll put a switch into the circuit, like Ran has."

"I would prefer you not to," Sai said.

"I know you would," Haru admitted. "We'll see how it goes."

Haru didn't want to have to resort to the switch. Kazuki had refused to have projectors in his room and, despite what Ran and Ka-chan said about Sai being unable to feel, Haru was convinced that Sai had been hurt

He had tried to explain to Sai that his relationship with Kazuki was different. They were friends. Friends decided when and where to meet and Ka-chan had decided it wasn't in his room.

"Am I not your friend, Haru?" Sai had asked.

"Yes, but between you and me it is different," Haru had explained. "I caused your existence. That makes us more than friends." He had struggled to find words. "I guess that makes us family."

Being Sai, he had persisted. "If you caused my existence, does that make you my parent?"

Haru knew that was how Ran saw it. "In a way," he had admitted.

He found a box and started to put the most important stuff from his desk into it. First was the data crystal array that Klenn-sensei had given him, his lockbox and then his tools.

Sai's array was already in its case. Haru slung the strap across his body so that the small satchel settled into its usual position and then clipped it to his belt.

"You should think about breakfast next," Sai reminded him. "It was early but it soon will be late."

The triplets had already eaten; he passed them with Kiba-san on their way to the playroom. Unusually, To-chan was still at the breakfast table. Haru went over and kissed his cheek, like To-chan did to Iruka-sensei in the morning.

It earned him a quick hug and a special smile. "Have you and Ka-chan got your move organised?" To-chan asked.

"Yes," Haru answered and Kazuki made a confirmatory noise from further up the table.

"Well remember that you can change your mind if you decide you have made a mistake about the layout," To-chan told him.

Haru nodded but did not say anything. He knew what To-chan meant. He and Ka-chan didn't have a connecting door between their rooms. Yo-chan and Ya-chan did, so did Hoshi and Yuki.

It had been Kazuki's decision and Haru had gone along with it. Ka-chan had developed this thing about privacy. Haru put it down to Kazuki being physiologically fourteen while he was more like eleven; who would want their little brother walking in on him when he was fantasising about some girl?

He imagined Kazuki wanking to images of Rin or Shizune and shuddered.

"Are you all right, Haru-chan?" To-chan asked.

Haru felt himself flushing. "I'm fine, To-chan, just thinking."

"You could try thinking and eating," To-chan suggested.

Yuki came through the doorway as Haru reached for the cereal. They had all wondered what Yuki would choose to wear and now they had their answer. He was wearing a patterned kimono with wide blue sash that wasn't an obi because it didn't have a bow at the back. Haru wondered what Papa thought about it.

The kimono had the Uchiha crest over Yuki's heart so Haru guessed that Papa wouldn't mind too much.

In contrast, Hoshi was dressed very simply in dark blue calf-length pants and a matching top; it didn't look much different to what they had always worn. Her hair was pulled back from her face and plaited; probably by Yuki because there was a small flower attached to the tie at the end.

"I shall be available this morning if you need any help," To-chan told them, "and Kiba-san will be around this afternoon. Try not to bother Haku-san too much. It would be better to make a list and see him only once."

Long before the midmeal, everything was in its place in his new room. Haru sat at the desk. Sai's projection was sitting on his bed. He was thinking that he ought to do something; perhaps delve into one of his project boxes, when there was an ugly buzzing that made him jump.

It was the door announcer; he would have to change the sound on that.

Sai vanished as he went to open the door.

It was Hoshi and Yuki. Yuki was pushing a trolley covered with baskets. Hoshi picked one off the trolley and handed it to him.

"Stuff for your bathroom," she told him. "Have you got everything out of the nursery? To-chan has offered to clear it."

"I think so," Haru replied. "Doesn't To-chan want any help?"

Hoshi smiled. "Papa is helping him."

Haru understood. They would get all sentimental about it and probably end up fucking.

Yuki looked past him into the room. "It's a bit stark, Ha-chan. What about a few pictures or a patterned bedcover? Maybe a rug?"

A rug sounded good. "Where do I get a rug?" he asked.

By the end of the morning Yuki had helped him pick out a rug, a bedcover and some cushions and made him promise to hang a display frame, like the one in Papa's office, on one of the walls.

In return he had customised Yuki's door announcer, followed by everyone else's once they realised what he was doing.

The midmeal felt even stranger than his new room. They merged in with the adults, serving themselves from the side counter and taking their meals to the main table to eat it.

Kiba-san was at the children's table with the younger children. Shi-chan had taken one of the adults chairs at the side and Haku-san the other.

There was no sign of To-chan or Papa.

Then Ran was there, taking the seat beside him, and he remembered why moving out of the nursery and the playroom was a good idea.

Ran studied him. "Let's eat quickly. Then you can show me your room before I have to be in the infirmary."

Showing Ran his room was fun. Ran admired the storage system around his desk, commented on the rug and talked to Sai.

"What are you going to do this afternoon?" he asked.

Haru understood the message; don't stay in here and worry that the move isn't going to work out. "Shi-chan said I should visit him in his office if I had time," he admitted.

Ran nodded. "Do that. It'll be better tomorrow. You'll be too busy to brood."

He pressed the door announcer to Neji-san and Shi-chan's office and waited. The door slid open to show Neji at his desk.

"Haru-kun," he acknowledged with something close to a full-on smile. "Shika was hoping you would drop by."

Haru began suspecting that something was up.

Neji led the way around the screen and tapped Shi-chan's desk to get his attention. Shi-chan pulled out his earpieces and pushed up the visor he had been wearing.

"It's Haru-kun," Neji said unnecessarily, given that he was standing there.

Shi-chan smiled at him. "Nice pants," he observed. "I would like a pair like that."

"Not a good idea, Shika," Neji suggested. "You would never remember to empty all the pockets before you put them into the laundry basket and Haku would get cross with you."

"Good point," Shi-chan admitted. He took off the visor and came out through the gap in the ring of his desk. "Notice anything new?" he challenged.

Haru started with Shi-chan himself, then the desk and finally the rest of the office. There, in the corner furthest from Neji's desk, was a door.

His heart speeded up. When they had moved In-san and En-san's laboratory closer to Shi-chan's new office they had left a room between. Haru had been told it was a storeroom.

"It's your birth anniversary present. You go in first," Shi-chan told him.

It was a laboratory for him. There was a desk and lots of projectors and even a full body simulator in one corner. It was a mess, everything had been plonked willy-nilly into the room, but it still looked awesome.

"It's fantastic," he told them. "Thank you."

"Shika did all of it," Neji replied, which explained the chaos. "This is my birth anniversary present to you." He went to stand next to a trolley piled high with the modules that Haru had used to build the storage around the desk in his new room. "I thought you would want to have the system you were already using and you can use the trolley to transfer your stuff between here and the Oak."

"Thank you, Neji-san," he acknowledged.

"There's the same set-up on the Oak," Shi-chan told him. He coloured slightly. "Your Papa and Na-chan think the simulators are a standard model. It might be best if they continue to think that. You also might want to thank Kotetsu-san for the amount of time he put into them."

Haru wondered what they had come up with; he was sure it would be amazing. "I'll do that," he promised.

There was a tinkle of bells and the light above a door in the far wall flashed.

"I told them you might be coming," Shi-chan admitted and Haru realised that the door had to be to In-san's laboratory.

Haru went to the door and opened it. In the doorway was a forest of fronds that folded up and curled down as soon as they felt his presence, revealing En-san and In-san carrying a large pot.

"We grew it especially for you," En-san announced.

Haru had not been sure about any plant since one had tried to kill him, never mind one that moved. "Thank you," he managed.

"There is a self watering system," In-san told him, "with an indicator light that comes on when you need to top it up and we made sure it has the right chlorophyll to grow well under the station and the ship's lights."

"So it will grow well in Tarrasade and on the Oak," En-san had, obliterating any hope Haru might had entertained of abandoning it when they went surveying the new systems.

In-san frowned at the small knots of greenery, which were all that remained of the large, bushy plant. "It will probably get used to you," he suggested doubtfully.

Haru had to admit that it looked as if the plant was trying to hide.

"Of course it will," En-san added. "Where are you going to put it, Haru-chan?"

They decided where to put the plant, at least temporarily, and then Neji made tea and offered about a tin of thin, crisp biscuits.

It was nice but Haru preferred fruit punch and Choza's cookies.

Then In-san, En-san and Neji-san left, leaving Shi-chan to run through the specs of the simulator with him.

They were spectacular; Haru couldn't wait to try it.

"It'll work out, Ha-chan," Shi-chan said when they had finished discussing the interfaces.

Haru knew he didn't mean the simulator or the laboratory. "I know. It's just all so different."

"And the last time it was so different was awful and lasted far too long," Shi-chan suggested.

Was it that? Did the litter being separated remind him of being kidnapped?

"Everyone is still here for you," Shi-chan assured him. "A few walls and different clothes don't change that. Now, why don't you go and find Ran-kun or Na-chan or Kazu-kun to show him your laboratory?"

It was a good idea but Haru's eyes strayed to the simulator.

"I'll just have a quick go on this first," he replied.

As soon as Shi-chan had gone next door, Haru opened a link between the Sai's interface and the new simulator. He then stripped, thinking that he would need somewhere to hang his clothes, and climbed in.

He felt the sensor net spread across his skin and tighten. Then Sai took over and he was in.

Sai had chosen birch woods in the spring. The images and sounds were even more real than usual. There was more spring in the ground and the air smelt incredibly fresh.

"This is good," Sai's avatar said from beside him. "It has its own dedicated data crystal array and the processors are as good as mine."

Haru turned and had to stop himself gawping. Sai looked real. As Haru watched, strands of his hair moved in the breeze and his chest rose and fell as if he was breathing.

Only the lack of expression gave him away. Then Sai turned towards him and smiled.

It didn't work. It looked horribly wrong.

"Not convincing," Sai suggested.

"Not quite," Haru admitted. "You know how you have to think like a flesh and blood human to interact with us?"

"Yes," Sai replied.

"You need that strand of thought to dictate your expression. And you need to do more research on how humans show their emotions in their faces and their bodies."

"So I can pretend better," Sai stated.

"So you can express the emotions you feel in a way we understand," Haru insisted.

The Sai avatar looked away. "Kazuki and Ran do not believe I am capable of feeling."

"Tronnies could feel," Haru insisted.

"Tronnies could remember how to feel," Sai countered.

Haru scowled at him.

"Thank you for believing in me, Haru Uchiha," Sai acknowledged. "May I access the sensors in your new laboratory?"

Haru issued the necessary commands.

The birch woods faded away and were replaced by the laboratory. "I wanted to see it," Sai admitted. "Could we try out different ways of organising it?"

It wasn't exploring the limits of the new simulator but involving Sai in his everyday life was more important. "Good idea," he agreed.

They had a good plan by the time Sai reminded him that Ran would be finishing in the infirmary. Haru stored the images, climbed out of the simulator and into his clothes.

The plant had just started to unfurl but as soon as it sensed him it curled up tightly again.

Kazuki was in the shared area. As Haru walked towards him Ka-chan flicked his ears and twitched his whiskers, asking what Haru had been up to.

"Shi-chan has given me my own laboratory," he admitted, hoping that Ka-chan would not think him too spoiled. He might not mention the simulator, at least not yet.

Kazuki smiled. "That's as much a present for him as for you," he observed.

It was true in a way. "What have you been doing?" Haru asked.

"Sorted my room and checked in with Gai-sensei. He's given me a mission you'll have to help me with."

After his talk with Papa, Kazuki had decided to try specialising in security. "I'd like that," Haru replied. "What is it?"

Kazuki looked comically glum. "I have to understand In-san's security system."

That was a challenge; Haru didn't fully understand it. He wasn't sure if even Shi-chan did. "We might have to work in stages," he admitted.

Ka-chan's ears went back and his whiskers drooped. "Because I'm too stupid?"

Haru poked him. "No, because I don't understand it either."

That cheered Kazuki up and they might have talked about it some more if Ran hadn't arrived. He sat down on the other side of Haru.

"Did you visit Shika-san?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You knew!" Haru accused.

"Neji-san asked me to try to get you there this afternoon," Ran admitted. "Do we have time for quick look before the evening meal?"

They did. The plant liked Ran and Kazuki liked the simulator. Both Ran and Ka-chan agreed that the laboratory was full of Haru-type stuff and suggested a few tweaks to the plan he and Sai had devised.

The rest of the evening was fine. The evemeal was the same as always, except that the big litter were wearing different clothes and had more to contribute to the conversation. Afterwards they hung out in Haru's room rather than Ran's.

Then the others left and Haru was on his own.

Haru knew he could call Sai back. Ran had always wanted Sai to leave at the same time as Haru, so Sai had transferred the behaviour to the new setting. Sai would be pleased if Haru wanted to talk for longer.

But Sai wasn't Ka-chan. He didn't have a physical body that could shoulder-bump or hug. He didn't burp and he didn't make little growly noises as he drifted off to sleep.

Haru cleaned his teeth, changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed. He didn't think Ka-chan would be wearing pyjamas. He would be sleeping naked, like Ran did unless Haru slept over.

It was odd to be able to see the ceiling rather than the underside of Kazuki's bunk. He hugged his second pillow to him and quashed the urge to get his plushie from its place in his lockbox.

There was a tap at the door.

It wasn't Ka-chan because he always scratched. "Yes?" Haru tried. If it was a hybrid he would hear. If it was someone else, Haru would get up and open the door.

It was To-chan.

"May I come in?" he asked.

Haru nodded.

To-chan slid the door shut behind him and sat on the edge of the bed. "I am feeling a bit unneeded," he confessed. "No big litter to say goodnight to and tuck in."

"You can tuck me in," Haru offered.

To-chan smiled. "That's kind of you." He looked about the room. "This is very cosy. It's been a big day, moving in here and getting your own laboratory. May I see it tomorrow?"

"That would be nice," Haru agreed. "In-san and En-san gave me a plant but it doesn't like me."

Gentle fingers combed his hair. "It probably won't like me either," To-chan replied, placing a whiskery kiss on his forehead. "Why don't you shut your eyes? If you don't mind, I would like to stay here for a while."

Haru shut his eyes and listened to the soothing foxy noises.

He didn't mind at all.

* * *

.


	16. Confirmation

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong cynder81, mikako17, melissen, donalgraeme, darkdragonalucard, embagshot and Fluff175 for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**16: Confirmation**

* * *

Shikamaru sat with his back against the tree.

It was early morning. Visiting the park had always been a late morning or afternoon activity but he was trying to avoid Izuna. Up to now Izuna had never left his apartment before midmorning.

He was not here to think about Izuna. On the contrary, he was here to forget him.

His life was going well. He could think about Klenn without being engulfed by sadness. Haru was much more a part of his everyday life. Sumiko was becoming more considerate and less demanding. There was the excitement of being part of the team developing the systems along the three Uchiha routes while, in the background, he was settling up organisations to do the same throughout the volume of known space.

He should be happy. He felt he could be if it wasn't for Izuna.

There he was thinking about him again: those deep, dark eyes; that rich voice with its unexpected edge; the inescapable knowledge that this man was capable of loving someone like him.

He bumped the back of his head against the tree trunk. He must not think about it. It would wreck everything.

Only there was this little voice saying it wouldn't. Neji would be reasonable about it. They would work out how to manage the transition and politely give their rings back. He would try out a relationship with Izuna. If it didn't work, Neji would take him back.

Or he wouldn't. Or their friendship would be destroyed. He remembered Neji's main argument against them becoming lovers; they had to work with each other every day for the rest of their lives.

Did he love Neji? Had he ever loved Neji? What was love? Did anything that fell short of what Sasuke and Na-chan shared actually count?

He knew he couldn't have what they had. It required the bond; an unshakable foundation that only death could break.

But, maybe, he could have more than he had.

Something, someone, moving caught his attention. He started to stand up. Thoughts flew around his head: please don't be Izuna, please don't be Izuna; he's going to kiss me soon and I might kiss back; do I like him or just the idea of him?

Each thought engendered more until his mind was a seething, chaotic mess.

A flash of gold, too high to be a kit's fur; it was Na-chan. Even the thought of his best friend's company calmed him.

Naruto was beside him before he had decided to call him.

"It's late for your run," Shikamaru observed.

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "It's early for you to be in the park." A hand settled on his shoulder. "No, I came looking for you, Shi-chan. To talk."

"About?" Shikamaru asked.

Na-chan just looked at him with those amazing blue eyes.

They lay side by side looking up through the leaves. Shikamaru gave voice to some of his thoughts. He knew what he was saying was disjointed and jumbled but he hoped Na-chan could make some sense of it.

"Why do you think Izuna is interested in you?" Naruto asked when he had finished.

It was not the question Shikamaru expected. Maybe Izuna was not interested. Maybe he had imagined it.

"Describe his behaviour, Shi-chan. Please," Na-chan urged.

He tried to be objective. "It's his voice and the way he looks at me." He thought back to the times they had met. "He stands really close." He knew he sounded pathetic.

"He does not do these things when you are together with other people," Naruto observed.

Shikamaru shrivelled inside. Na-chan did not believe him. "He turns up here and when I change the time I come here he does too," he complained. Only perhaps that was not true. Perhaps they both went to the park a lot and that meant they often met. "I don't know what I think, Na-chan," he admitted.

"Yes you do," Naruto disagreed. "You think he is hitting on you and it is worrying you because you find him attractive."

Put simply, that was it.

"I am worried," Naruto continued, "because if he is hitting on you he only does it when the two of you are alone."

Shikamaru sighed; it must be all in his head.

"That would mean he is choosing not to do it in front of others," Naruto pointed out.

It was a completely new thought. It was sneaky. Izuna Uchiha was not meant to be sneaky.

"I shall observe you with him," Naruto declared.

Shikamaru sat up. "Na-chan! You can't."

"I can," Naruto replied, staying where he was and putting his hands behind his head. "He will be completely unaware of my presence." The blue eyes turned towards him. "Alternatively, we could talk about it to Iruka-sensei," he suggested.

The suggestion filled Shikamaru with horror; Iruka would have him and Neji in counselling before the day was out. "All right," he agreed.

They agreed that Shikamaru would return to the park later that morning; the same time he had last met Izuna. Unknown to Izuna, Naruto would also be there. They would try again each morning until Naruto had a chance to observe them together.

They walked back to the household together before separating; each going to his own office.

Neji was not there; Shikamaru guessed he was next door with Sasuke. He thought about getting on with his own work but he knew he would not be able to concentrate.

Instead he decided to see if Haru was in his laboratory.

He was. Kazuki was with him. They were working on a task Gai had given Kazuki; understanding In-san's plant-based security systems.

His scepticism must have shown in his expression.

"Not completely understand," Haru clarified. "To-chan does not completely understand how the weapons in his gun turret work but he knows enough to use them safely and maintain them. We are working towards that level of understanding."

"I would start with the safety aspect," Shikamaru recommended. "A thorough understanding of the triggers that change it from a passive network of detectors into a lethal weapon." He was still convinced that they should have settled for the version with the attack mode disabled, but Itachi and Kakashi had overruled him.

They began sketching out what they understood, which had even more gaps that he had anticipated.

When they paused for a break they decided to go to the kitchen. Haru and Kazuki had juice and cookies while he had coffee.

"It needs a more reliable safety catch," Kazuki observed. "And an emergency off switch."

Shikamaru smiled at him. Kazuki was like Na-chan; he would do just fine.

Then the alarm on his wrist chronometer sounded, reminding him to go to the park.

He did not spot Na-chan, which was as expected. He walked about, visiting each tree in turn. Half of him didn't want Izuna to turn up, because he didn't want to deal with him, while the other half wanted to get it over with.

He patted that tree's trunk and moved to the next one, only to stop when he realised that something was out of place.

Izuna was sitting with his back to it; Shikamaru was a step away from tripping over his legs.

"Shikamaru-san," Izuna acknowledged.

He felt himself flushing. "Izuna-sama," he replied. "I did not see you there. I apologise."

Izuna stood up, which left him standing so close that Shikamaru could have reached out and touched him.

"I should have spoken out sooner, but I thought you must have noticed me," Izuna explained.

"I'm not very observant when I am thinking," Shikamaru admitted.

Izuna smiled at him. "Which is all the time."

Shikamaru was transfixed; some compartment of his mind commented that the Uchihas he knew only smiled like that for a lover or a child. "Which is all the time," he echoed.

"You like the trees," Izuna observed.

"I like the trees," he agreed. The same part of his mind was telling him to stop parroting and move away.

Izuna half shut his eyes and took a deep breath. As he did so his chin came up, exposing the long, pale curve of his neck. "It smells wonderful," he murmured. Then the eyes were back; dark, deep and direct. "And I love the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze."

Shikamaru knew he should turn away; he did not need the insistent little voice in his head telling him. Unfortunately, his body did not seem to be getting the message.

There was a rustle nearby and a voice. "Izuna-sama, Shi-chan."

It was Naruto, looking as if he just happened to be walking by.

Izuna stepped away. "Naruto-san."

"Na-chan," Shikamaru acknowledged.

"I was hoping to have a word with you about Sumiko-chan," Naruto said to Shikamaru. "But I can see you are busy."

Izuna's smile looked forced. "Not at all. I was merely complimenting Shikamaru-san on the design of the park. I shall leave you to your discussion." He gave the slightest of nods to each of them. "Shikamaru-san, Naruto-san."

Shikamaru noticed that Naruto's bow was no deeper than Izuna's, unlike his own.

Naruto waited far longer than Shikamaru would have thought necessary; another advantage of super-sensitive hearing.

"Yes, he is hitting on you and, yes, you find him attractive," Na-chan told him bluntly.

In a way it was a relief. At least it was not all in his imagination.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "He didn't smell right. That's why I came closer, so I could check."

"And?" Shikamaru prompted.

"I know what purebreds smell like when they desire someone. You can't be a hybrid member of this crew and not know that."

Shikamaru mind was filled with possibilities; if it wasn't desire, what was it?

"He wants you," Naruto told him. "You excite him. Like prey excites a predator." Frank blue eyes studied him. "I do not think he is right for you, Shi-chan."

He swallowed. Why did he find him Izuna attractive? Suddenly there was a question he needed answering. "Did Klenn desire me or did he smell like Izuna?"

Naruto paused before answering. "Klennethon Darrent desired you, as you did him."

"Good," Shikamaru admitted. "I was scared for a moment that I had some deep seated urge to be prey."

Long arms pulled him close for a hug. Shikamaru relaxed into it. It felt good.

"How is it between you and Neji?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru tensed and would have pulled away but Naruto held him close, reinforcing the question with a tiny growl.

"I don't know," Shikamaru replied, feeling stubborn; if he wanted to be interrogated, he would go to Iruka.

"Shi-chan," Naruto scolded.

"He never initiates anything," Shikamaru admitted.

"Did he ever?" Na-chan asked.

It was a good question. "Maybe not often."

"I could speak with him," Naruto offered.

"No!" Shikamaru ordered.

"You could talk to Haku about it."

He might do that. Or he could speak to Neji.

Naruto finally released him. "We will leave soon to survey the new systems," he pointed out. "Izuna will be staying here. Maybe this would be a good time to refresh your relationship with Neji. You used to work very hard to make it work between you."

Shikamaru accepted the criticism. Expecting Neji to make the running was unrealistic; it wasn't in his nature.

"Could you arrange a sleepover for Su-chan?" he asked.

Naruto smiled. "Good start. I will have the girls and ask Haku to have the boys."

* * *

.

* * *

Madara was annoyed. He had been so close to getting Shikamaru to step over a boundary. Instead the fox hybrid had appeared and ruined it.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. It was a minor setback.

He ran through the plan as he walked back to his apartment. A copy of the schematic showing the new systems was on its way to Orochimaru; it included enough information to identify the systems and the holes that linked the route. He had also send word that Konan and her child were alive and with Uchiha; that should provide Orochimaru with enough leverage to force cooperation from Pein.

He needed one more crucial piece of information; the route of the ship that Sasuke would be on. Once he had that, Orochimaru would be able to properly prepare.

Madara himself would move onto the finesse. His next objective was that Sasuke and his children would be on the Oak but Shikamaru, with or without Neji, would not.

His preferred tactic of getting Shikamaru to fall for him and ask to stay would have to be abandoned. Shikamaru was too skittish and his relationship with Neji was too embedded.

If only they had not been raising a child together.

He would turn his attention back to that later. Sasuke and his children were dear to Shikamaru, particularly Haru. He had already lost many people who were close to him; news of their deaths should shatter him.

Then Madara could assemble the pieces to make what he needed.

He would apply his full attention to his second plan; the media.

He had committed to giving a nice, safe, controlled interview before Sasuke left. Shikamaru and Neji had taken control of the process, as they did for Sasuke. If the interview was postponed, they would stay. He needed to get Sasuke to leave without them rather than delaying the Oak's departure.

He was using the fact that Sasuke wanted the survey completed and the gates installed as soon as possible, preferably before outsiders realised that Uchiha was developing three such lucrative routes. Karin, in her guise as an investigative journalist, was publishing a series of reports about the drop in gate availability. She had already suggested that there had been a mass purchase of gates and the next logical step would be to investigate recent transfers of planetary deeds.

With each report Karin published the need to complete the survey became more urgent. Sasuke was planning to use both the Oak and the Maple. There was a suggestion that ships without Mulligan drives would be deposited in each of the systems with planets to collect more data and then picked by the Oak or the Maple on the way home.

Most of the crew would be away from Tarrasade. It was ideal.

He turned the last corner, only to encounter Sasuke walking towards him; away from his apartment.

"Sasuke-sama, can I help you?" he asked.

Sasuke bowed. "Izuna-sama. I had some time. I thought that I would visit. Perhaps another day?"

It was too good an opportunity to miss. Madara schooled his features to display disappointment. "You do not even have time for one cup of tea?" he asked.

He was soon settled in his chair while Sasuke made tea for them.

"I wanted to speak with you about the next few divisions," Sasuke admitted. "Are you certain you do not wish to accompany us on the survey?"

"Quite sure," Madara assured him. "It feels good to be home and I require time to think about what the future may hold for me."

Sasuke brought the tray to the small table and sat in the other chair. "Haku and Itachi will be accompanying us," he warned.

That was a relief; both Haku and Itachi were sworn to Sasuke rather than Uchiha. "I believe I shall be able to cope, Sasuke-sama. It will encourage me to seek out other companionship among the crew. Who will be staying?"

"Kiba is staying; with six babies due to be decanted going really isn't an option. He'll split his time between the new facility and the household."

Madara was careful to say nothing. He was not meant to know where the new babies came from. Sasuke had only told him that they were orphans for whom Uchiha had responsibility.

"I have persuaded Choza that we can manage without him, so he can remain with Kiba. Konan has decided to stay this time. That means Hana will be available and Haku will brief her about your needs. Asuma will be in command, so Tenten will be staying. Konohamaru, Kamatari and Moegi will be here."

Moegi was the one being fucked by a Scavenger; merely being reminded of it made him nauseous.

"Rin has decided that Moegi can provide medical cover," Sasuke continued. "Nothing else has been decided yet but it is likely that the Zetsus and Tatsuji will stay."

He took a deep breath and Madara waited.

"I have decided that Sumaru should stay," Sasuke announced. "He will be your bodyguard should you require one."

Madara had made a point of seeing the youngster in action, interested to see why first Pein and then Orochimaru had decided that an army of symbiote-carriers was so desirable. It had been more than impressive. "I am honoured, Sasuke-sama, but I am sure that is not necessary."

Sasuke raised a hand. "It is decided. We will not be visiting any occupied systems and I have Naruto to protect me."

Madara sipped his tea to disguise his smirk; the fox hybrid would not be able to protect Sasuke from what Orochimaru had planned.

It was time to press for the information he required. "The system at the end, the one with the six planets. Am I correct in remembering that there were two planets with standard ecologies?" More importantly it had only had one navigable hole.

"Yes," Sasuke replied. "I am looking forward to seeing it."

Madara had to be sure. "I had thought, with the Oak being so much slower, you would have been surveying one of the shorter routes," he observed.

"The Maple is going to do both the shorter routes," Sasuke confirmed. "It's the best use of resources."

They talked further but Madara was uninterested. All that mattered was that Sasuke did not associate the end of the conversation with telling him where the Oak would be.

As soon as Sasuke was gone, Madara wrote the message and encoded it. Then he sprung the panel in the wall, reached in and slid up the sleeve that covered the false column.

Inside was the shuttle that would carry his message. Even after all the intervening centuries he was proud of the design. Using a clockwork mechanism meant that there was no electromagnetic activity to detect.

He unclipped the winder from the inside of the tube and primed the spring. Then he loaded his message into the shuttle and pressed the release. His message was on its way to Level 6.

Sleeve down and panel closed, he poured himself a celebratory cup of sake.

* * *

.

* * *

.


	17. Separation

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, mikako17, donalgraeme, darkdragonalucard, embagsho, Fluff175, cynder81, and melissen for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by oo******oo**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**17: Separation**

* * *

When Sasuke came out of the bathroom he found Naruto looking at the plethora of small cards on the wall of their room, each held in place by a tiny magnet.

The expression on Naruto's face was all too easy to read.

"Dobe," he warned. "No moving them about or asking Shika for some way of making all the magnets drop off."

"They belong in your office, not here," Naruto complained. He twitched his whiskers. "I should find some excuse for Shi-chan or Neji to see them."

Shika and Neji were impressed that he had managed to plan the surveys without resorting to paper; Sasuke did not want to disillusion them. He decided to take advantage of still being naked, pushing against Naruto's flank and making big eyes up at him. "Please don't."

Naruto gave him a smile rather than the growl he had anticipated. "Extra new-type quickie every morning and I won't tell on you."

Sasuke was about to complain how unrealistic that was when he read the message in his beloved's eyes. They should never be too busy to fuck. "Deal," he agreed.

"Excellent. I'll go get my thingy."

**oo******oo**

Sasuke felt sated and sleepy; he burrowed close.

"Teme, you need to get up," Naruto told him, stroking his back to soften the message.

"Was up," Sasuke reminded him. "Your fault."

"My fault," Naruto agreed. "But you still need to get up."

Next thing Sasuke knew he was being carried into the bathroom and deposited on his feet in the shower.

Naruto kissed him, turned on the faucet and stepped away.

At least the water was warm.

His eyes went to the light above Neji's door as soon as he entered his office. It was green, confirming that Neji was waiting to see him.

Even so, he decided to take a few minutes to settle himself. He sat at his desk and opened the interface. Immediately, before he had opened any of the programmes, a string of characters marched across the screen.

**We need to see you. Now. Shikamaru.**

He sighed. It would be about Izuna's interview. It was always about Izuna's interview. He switched the light on Neji's side of the door to blue.

The door slid open immediately. Shikamaru came through before he was invited; too agitated to be bothered with niceties.

"They're changing the interviewer again," he complained.

Neji followed. "Sasuke-sama," he acknowledged. "Apparently Hijiri-san has been injured and is tanked."

Sasuke thought of the respected journalist who had interviewed him and Naruto when they had returned to Tarrasade. "Please send an appropriate token of my regard to his family."

Neji nodded.

"What about Yukie Fujikaze, or that other woman, Yurika?" he asked.

"Yukie Fujikaze is in Palance and Yurika is on our 'never again' list because of her anti-hybrid attitude," Shikamaru reminded him.

Sasuke belated remembered how rude the woman had been.

"They are suggesting Karin," Neji informed him.

"Not in a thousand standards," Sasuke declared. "I would prefer Bubbles." He imagined the lifestyle-obsessed lightweight hosting what had been trailed as the interview of the millennium.

Neji almost smiled. "I do not think Izuna-sama is ready for Bubbles, Sasuke-sama."

"Izuna-sama wants to go with Karin," Shikamaru announced. "He thinks that postponing shows weakness."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "We are not going with Karin. I forbid it."

There was a diplomatic silence.

"I shall speak with Izuna-sama," Sasuke promised. "Shika, what is the best solution?"

Shikamaru looked glum. "Postpone until we can get Yukie Fujikaze here. The media companies will accept that because they know she is our favoured interviewer."

"And that will take?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru's eyes went distant. "Fifteen days at best and that's if she agrees to be podded and picked up by one of my Tennyos."

Sasuke was sure she would agree to anything short of permanent death. He sighed. "We can't afford to delay the departure of the Oak," he stated.

"There is no need," Neji assured him. "Shika and I can catch you up using the Dart. You will be laying a minigate string. We will be in contact daily."

"What if Izuna-sama's interview goes badly?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke was surprised by the question but put it down to Shika's tendency to explore every possibility. "If we use Yukie Fujikaze it won't," he insisted. "Also, that is why you and Neji are staying, to manage it. Shika, go and get in contact with Yuki Fujikaze. Neji, get onto the media companies. Offer them a sweetener if you can think of one."

"We haven't released the latest portraits of you and Naruto with the children," Neji reminded him. "We could give each company a slightly different one. They would love that."

"Perfect," Sasuke confirmed. "I'll speak to Izuna-sama and explain why we must postpone. If we move quickly we won't have to delay the final survey briefing."

* * *

Haru and the rest of the big litter had been allowed to attend the briefing but were on strict instructions from Iruka-sensei to sit still and say nothing.

Who wasn't there told them a great deal. No In-san and En-san; this time they were definitely staying with Konan-san and Nagato-chan. No Kiba-san or Choza-san; Haru wondered who would do the cooking on the Oak. No Keitaro; so he was the trainee who was staying in Tarrasade.

Papa came in with To-chan, Shi-chan and Neji-san.

Even Ka-chan managed to sit still and listen carefully.

Haru's gut clenched when Papa said that Kakashi-san and Iruka-sensei were going to be on the Maple. He held his breath until Papa announced that Ran would be on the Oak.

Five was on the Maple.

The approach was the same for each mission. The mother ship would use a sub-optimal hole to jump into the middle system of the route and then proceed to the end, leaving a ship and crew in any system with planets. On the way back they would pick up the other ships and then jump back through all the holes they intended to gate.

The Oak had the mission to survey the five-system route. The Maple was going to do the two three-system routes.

Haru would have used the Maple on the five-system route, the Oak on the three-system with two lots of planets and the Dart on the three-system with one lot of planets. It would be much quicker that way. He wondered why Papa had not chosen to do that. Maybe he felt that the Dart was too vulnerable.

"We have had to make a last-minute modification to our plans," Papa was admitting. "Izuna-sama's interview had been postponed. Neji-san and Shika-san will remain in Tarrasade until the interview has been completed. Then they will then catch up with the Oak using the Dart."

The news was unexpected and disappointing. Haru liked having Shi-chan working next door; they saw each other a lot and talked about everything.

He wanted to ask how far behind Shi-chan and Neji-san would be. Luckily Haku-san asked for him. As best, they would leave Tarrasade fifteen days behind. Haru began comparing relative speeds, allowing for acceleration and deceleration at holes. He winced; they would be lucky to make it before they were on their way back.

It would still be worth it though; the journey back would take a lot longer than the journey out

After the briefing, Papa called him over.

"Haru-kun, I need you go over everything that Shika-san considers relevant to the survey. That way you can provide Akemi-san with back-up. I know it will be tight, there are only two full days left before we leave, but do your best. I shall have you removed from general duties. Other than working with Shika-san, your only responsibility will be transferring your own belongings and kit."

Haru was struggling with his Papa calling him 'kun' instead of 'chan'. Should he be calling him 'Sasuke-sama'?

He decided he couldn't. He looked serious instead. "I understand, Papa," he replied.

That evening Ran and Kazuki came to his room and the three of them filled Sai in about the briefing and Haru's unexpected responsibility.

"Shikamaru is not going?" checked Sai.

"He'll be following on later in the Dart," Kazuki explained.

"Is Sumiko going?" Sai asked.

There was a short silence that Haru broke. "I'm not sure," he admitted.

Sai vanished. Haru hoped he was not going to try and speak with Su-chan. The current arrangement was that Sai played characters in simulations. Haru had banned any other contact because otherwise Sumiko would realise that Sai was a person rather than a programme.

They continued talking about the mission. To Haru's delight, Ran did not seem too bothered about Five not being on the Oak with them. Kazuki was hoping that they would get to drop to one or more of the planets.

Haru thought that most unlikely, given what happened last time Papa had allowed it.

Sai was gone some time. "She is staying with Shikamaru," he announced as soon as he reappeared. "Nagato is the only other child staying. She will be very lonely. I heard her telling Shikamaru that it will be fine because she has her simulations to play in."

"You shouldn't be spying, Sai," Ran scolded.

"She will not be able to play in her simulations if I go with you," Sai pointed out. "She will be lonely and unhappy."

"Can't you fix the sims so that they seem like you are there?" Kazuki asked.

"No," Sai replied.

Kazuki looked to Haru. "They won't be the same," he admitted. He took a deep breath. "You can't stay, Sai. It is out of the question."

"Why?" Sai asked.

Haru started to explain. He was still explaining after the others left. Essentially, it came down to the fact that someone had to look after Sai's array and that person had to know that losing or damaging the array was the same as abandoning or injuring a person.

The only three people who knew that would be on the Oak.

"She'll live through it, Sai," he insisted. "It's only fifteen days."

"And the journey," Sai added.

"And the journey," Haru conceded. "She had the choice to come with us, Sai. To-chan would look after her."

"She is very attached to Shikamaru," Sai reminded him. "Being separated from him makes her insecure and unhappy. It is because she lost her Ma and her Pa."

"I know that," Haru admitted.

"She thinks she is choosing Shikamaru and me over going. She is not. I will be abandoning her."

Haru didn't like it either, but there wasn't another choice. "There aren't any perfect decisions, Sai, there are just best decisions. Sometimes the best decision is a long way short of perfect." He rubbed his face. "I am sorry, Sai, but I am tired. It was a very busy day and there is another one tomorrow."

"Naruto will be arriving soon to say goodnight to you," Sai observed. "We must stop talking before he hears us, which he will do as he approaches."

"Goodnight, Sai," Haru acknowledged.

"Goodnight, Haru," Sai replied and vanished.

The next day was divided between packing and talking through all the procedures for surveying holes, systems and planets. It was challenging and thrilling to work at Shi-chan's rate. On the other hand, Haru was a bit worried by the notion of Papa thinking of him as the only expert on the ship.

It didn't help that Shi-chan kept reassuring him that he would not be responsible for checking a hole before they went through it. It reminded him how many things could go wrong; even if none of them were likely.

By the time he left his laboratory that afternoon everything, even the plant, was loaded onto the trolley Neji-san had given him. His slot for moving stuff on the shuttle was the next morning. He needed to pack up his room next; the rule was that anything that he could not personally carry had to be on the Oak by the evening of the next day.

He was packing his desk, wondering where Sai was, when his door announcer sounded. He hit the unlock button beside his desk and called, "Come in."

It was Sumiko. She slid the door shut behind her and stood there. He stared at her. What was Sumiko doing coming to his room?

He had just connected Sai's absence and her presence when she started talking.

"I'll look after him, I promise," she assured him.

Icy dread crept down Haru's spine and out across his skin.

Su-chan scowled at him. "Don't look at me like that," she complained. "I'm eight. You were only nine when you started looking after him. I can do it." Her chin came up like it did when she was at her most defiant. "I understand. It has to be a secret. The Centralites think he's a monster. They will punish you and Nii-san for making him and you and Ran and Kazuki and me for hiding him."

Yes, Sai had told her. How could he?

"Sai said you'd be cross," Sumiko observed.

"Sai, get out here," he ordered.

Su-chan shook her head. "He's hiding from you. Be sensible. He's my best friend. I deserve to know he's real. I should be cross with you for making him pretend he isn't. Only I'm not cross. I'm being sensible. I know you were trying to protect Sai and me and Nii-san and the others. I forgive you. Now you're going to forgive Sai and give him to me."

She pointed at Sai's array on his belt, which extinguished any hope that Sai had not told her everything.

Then part of what Sumiko had said sank in. She thought of Sai as her best friend. No, Sai was her best friend. Like Ran was his. He remembered how he had felt when he had thought Ran might be going on the Maple rather than the Oak.

"It has to be a secret," he emphasised.

She rolled her eyes. "I understand. I'm not stupid. The Centralites will kill us if they find out. Like Orochimaru killed Ma and Pa. Telling someone increases the risk. Adults knowing is worse because Centralites will blame the adults more."

"And if anything happens to the array, Sai will die," he told her. "There isn't a back up. He lives in this..." He pointed at the leather satchel clipped to his belt. "...nowhere else."

"If anything happens to the array, he'll die. Like Ma and Pa died. I get it, Haru. Stop fussing. Give him to me."

"Not yet," Haru replied.

"Now," Sumiko insisted. "He can still talk to you until you leave. He'll use the wireless access to your network."

Haru flinched.

"Which is also a secret," Su-chan acknowledged. "Sai and I talked about it. I'll tell Nii-san that you put the programmes for my simulations on this tablet for me. Sai will make it look ordinary if Nii-san links to it, like he makes his programmes look ordinary." She moved a small satchel, more like a purse on a strap, from behind her body to in front. "I think he will fit nicely into this."

It was yellow with small pink and blue flowers.

"It doesn't look very robust," Haru complained. "Can't you use this?" he gestured towards his satchel.

"No," Sumiko told him. "It will attract too much attention. Sai says that the array was very tough. He will be fine in my bag. You're being overprotective, like Sasuke-sama."

"Well maybe it's the same," he huffed. "I'll never forgive myself if anything happened to him." He looked to one of Sai's usual positions. "Sai, I need you to confirm you want this."

Sai appeared. He looked about Sumiko's age and was slightly shorter than her.

Sumiko squealed. "I want projectors in my room."

"You can't, Su-chan," Haru explained. "You have to have a room that adults don't go into."

She looked disappointed but nodded. "Nii-san and Ne-chan come in and out all the time." She looked at Sai and smiled. "One day."

Haru wasn't sure if he had ever seen her smile like that. "Sai, you want to stay with Su-chan?"

The Sai avatar nodded. "I want to stay with Sumiko. Sumiko needs me more than you do. You have Ran and Kazuki."

"You understand the risks?" Haru pressed. "You'll do what's best to keep the secret, even if it isn't what Su-chan wants you to do?"

"I shall keep the secret because the secret protects Sumiko and you and Ran and Kazuki and the others," Sai confirmed.

"And you," Haru insisted. "It keeps you safe too."

"It keeps me safe too," Sai agreed.

Haru's hands went to his satchel. He found himself fumbling with the fastenings, as if his fingers were trying to tell him that this was a really, really bad idea.

He wondered if it felt like this when parents left their children for the first time. Maybe that was even worse. He tipped the case and shook it slightly; Sai's array was a snug fit. It slid out enough for him to grasp the edge.

He pulled it free and held it out to Sumiko, who stepped forward to receive it. Her fingers closed on the array but he did not let go.

"This isn't a game, Su-chan. Sai's a real person."

For once she didn't scowl at him. She looked directly at him with Shi-chan's eyes. "I know that. I love him too."

He released his end and watched her put the array in the silly, flowery bag. At least she was holding him properly.

"I'll take care of him," she promised.

"We'll take care of each other," Sai assured him.

He watched them leave. When he turned back, the older Sai avatar was sitting on his bed.

"I thank you," he said. "I apologise for telling her when you did not want me to. I decided it was for the best. Like you said, there are no perfect decisions, only best ones."

Haru wished he had never said that. "I forgive you," he replied. "I understand," he added. He might not like it, but he did understand.

"May I stay while you finish packing?" Sai asked.

Haru nodded. "That would be nice."

* * *

.


	18. Departures

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, mikako17, donalgraeme, darkdragonalucard, embagsho, Fluff175, cynder81, and melissen for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**18: Departures**

* * *

Shikamaru stood in the docking bay, his hands thrust deep into his pockets. The last shuttle was about to depart for the Oak and Haru would be on it.

Neji was giving him sideways looks. Shikamaru knew what they meant; Neji thought that Sumiko should be reminded not to go near the edge but did not think it was his place to do so.

Shikamaru didn't think it necessary; Sumiko was naturally cautious and it wasn't her first time in the docking bay.

Instead he watched Sumiko saying goodbye to Haru. The two of them were getting along, which was nice. Haru had put all the stuff Sumiko might need to control her story sims onto a tablet, which Su-chan was insisting on carrying with her like Haru did. It was rather sweet.

They finished talking and came over.

"I wish you were coming with us," Haru admitted.

Shikamaru couldn't have agreed more. "It won't be that long," he replied. "You must give me an update each day via the minigate link," he added.

"I shall," Haru agreed and moved closer.

Shikamaru recognised the signs. It was one of the rare times Haru wanted a hug. He pulled his hands from his pockets and tried to make it a good one.

Haru's body felt so small. These days they worked together, treating each other as equals. It was easy to forget that he was a young twelve; not even into his adolescent growth spurt.

"You look after Na-chan and your Papa for me," Shikamaru whispered.

"I will. Don't let Su-chan bully you," Haru replied.

Then Haru was gone, summoned by Inari who was leading the last batch of crew to join the Oak.

They walked back to the crew room. The rest of today and the start of tomorrow wouldn't be too bad; the Maple was not due to leave until the next afternoon. Unexpectedly, the thought caused shifts in the currents below the surface in his mind. He dipped down into them and found himself focusing on Kakashi. Was there something he should tell Kakashi before he left?

Within a second he had what it was. Why that? He had decided not to mention that to anyone; some stones were better left unturned.

"Shika?"

Neji was calling him and Shikamaru realised that he had stopped walking.

"I need to speak to Kakashi," he heard himself say. Had he made the decision?

"I think he's on the Maple," Neji replied. "He'll be back for the evening meal. Iruka wants the remaining crew to eat together. Where are you going?"

Shikamaru had to think about why he had turned around and was walking in the other direction. "To the control room. I won't be long."

Behind him he heard Sumiko. "Is Nii-san all right?"

"He's just thinking about something, Su-chan," Neji replied.

Telling Kakashi that he had something to tell him settled Shikamaru's mind. He was able to rejoin Neji and Sumiko for drinks and cookies with Choza in the kitchen.

Kiba was there looking miserable; it was probably beginning to sink in that both his litters were gone. Shikamaru decided to ask about the new babies. Kiba perked up and told him that Sumaru had chosen their names to reflect their genetic origins. The girls were Natsuko and Hokuto; the boys Mizura, Yokata, Shiso and Akahoshi.

Shikamaru committed the names to memory, so that he could ask about them as individuals. By that time Neji had caught on and started a conversation about the orphanage in Sublevel C; another topic that was certain to distract Kiba from thinking about the litters.

Choza gave them a grateful smile and brought out a cake rather than cookies.

As he sipped his coffee and ate his cake, Shikamaru found himself focusing on Sumiko. What was she going to do now that the only other child was Nagato?

"Do you have plans for the rest of this afternoon?" he asked her.

"I have a new schedule," she told him proudly.

"Why don't you show Shika, Su-chan?" Neji suggested.

It was reassuringly full. There were sessions with Biwako in the playroom. Tenten had agreed to oversee her physical training and Moegi was going to make time to teach her about being a medico. She had regular slots to work with Konan in hydroponics, with Inryoku in his laboratory and with Choza in the kitchen.

He noticed that she had trebled the time she spent in her simulations but Shikamaru wasn't going to object if she had managed to get Neji's approval.

"This looks good, Su-chan," he acknowledged. "You'll have loads to tell me every evening."

"I'm going to have my evemeal with you and the other grown-ups," Sumiko told him.

"I look forward to it," he assured her.

"And you and I are going to the park together for the second half of each third afternoon," she informed him. "If you can't make it, we'll swap for another time when you can."

"I have put it into your schedule," Neji added.

That meant an alarm from his wrist chronometer would remind him. "Good," Shikamaru acknowledged.

He left Neji talking to Choza, saw Sumiko off to her session with Biwako and went to the office to plan the first of his daily messages to Haru.

Over a decade corresponding with Klenn had given him a huge repertoire of puzzles and games to choose from; he was determined to come up with something they would both enjoy.

He had almost finished reviewing his collection of puzzles when someone gave his chair a shake. Lifting his goggles revealed Kakashi.

"So what is so urgent, Shika-kun?" he demanded.

Shikamaru was glad to hear the 'kun'; it meant Kakashi wasn't annoyed by his demand for a last-minute meeting. "There is something about Izuna Uchiha I must tell you," he admitted.

Kakashi pulled up the chair Haru usually used and sat down.

Shikamaru decided just to say it. "He was never declared dead."

Kakashi blinked at him. "And how long have you known this?" he asked.

He felt himself flush. "Since I was researching the pod. It was hard to uncover. I wasn't going to tell anyone. I don't think anyone else knows."

"You haven't told Sasuke?"

"I haven't told anyone. I wasn't going to. Then, today, I got one of those thoughts that bubble up from somewhere deep and I knew I had to tell you."

"Specifically me?" Kakashi checked.

"You," Shikamaru confirmed. "It could take me divs to work out why and why now and why you."

Kakashi nodded. "Don't bother," he advised.

"You won't tell Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked.

"I won't tell Sasuke," Kakashi confirmed. He looked slightly distant for a moment. "You shouldn't either. What do you think of Izuna?"

Shikamaru had not expected the question. He was Izuna Uchiha. A legend. A hero. Did he tell Kakashi that Izuna was hitting on him? No; there was a small chance that Kakashi would overreact. "He isn't like I expected," he admitted.

"More guarded," Kakashi suggested.

"Deeper and more complex," Shikamaru volunteered.

"Darker," Kakashi added. "There are times when he makes my flesh creep. Iruka thinks it is because he reminds me of Fugaku-kyou but I wonder."

"Sasuke likes him," Shikamaru pointed out. Na-chan didn't, but mentioning that would lead to him admitting that Izuna was pursuing him.

"Sasuke is enamoured by Izuna Uchiha and perhaps Izuna-sama is careful to keep it that way," Kakashi replied. He sighed. "So Izuna Uchiha is more complicated and less pleasant than in the stories."

"Which is not surprising," Shikamaru suggested.

"Which is not surprising," Kakashi agreed. "I expect you to stay in contact with me as well as Sasuke, Shika-san."

Shikamaru nodded.

"Good. Now let's go and find Iruka, who is looking forward to one more evening with you."

* * *

.

* * *

Madara walked into the kitchen to find that the table had shrunk somewhat. He hovered; uncertain where to sit but unwilling to ask.

"Izuna-sama," Iruka acknowledged, indicating the place opposite him.

So Iruka, as head of Sasuke's household, took priority. Izuna took his allotted place. Perhaps Shikamaru would be assigned to the seat next to him.

He was not. Asuma was on his right and Konohamaru on his left. Shikamaru sat between Iruka and Sumiko.

The child had not been at previous evemeals and Madara realised that this was the first time he had looked at her properly. Physically, she was as similar to Shikamaru as was possible for a person who was eight and female.

Perhaps he should spend time with her. If he claimed Shikamaru he would have to accommodate the child. Izuna had liked children; it would be in character to show interest in her.

There were voices from beyond the doorway. The younger adults entered. With them was a stranger; a scrawny young man with limp brown hair.

"Izuna-sama, I do not believe you have met Udon-san," Iruka said.

The Scavenger; he was expected to sit at a table and eat with a Scavenger. Sasuke had always warned him when the Scavenger was going to be present, giving him the option to excuse himself.

The young man bowed. "Izuna-sama."

Madara could not bring himself to bow in return. He concentrated on how Izuna would have behaved; his brother could tolerate anyone, however disgusting. Somehow he managed a quiet but dignified, "Udon-san," although the honorific almost choked him.

Iruka would pay for forcing him into this situation.

He made himself ignore the Scavenger's presence by considering in turn those who would remain once the Maple had departed.

Asuma, Choza and Tatsuji had been sworn to Uchiha since birth; they would obey him without thought. Kiba and Kamatari were hybrids; they and the women were, by their natures, followers. Other than Shikamaru and Neji, that left Sumaru, who had been ordered by Sasuke to protect him, Konohamaru, Zetsu and Keitaro.

Zetsu was insane and Keitaro was little more than a child; Madara dismissed them.

Only Konohamaru, Shikamaru and Neji remained.

He checked the conversation, but it was about a subject in which he had no interest, namely the charitable project in Sublevel C that the Scavenger managed.

His thoughts turned instead to Neji. The man was an asset but he was also an obstacle; a barrier between him and Shikamaru.

Unlike Shikamaru, Neji was not irreplaceable. There were other Hyuga but the spacer in him baulked at the thought of paying the equivalent of a decent planet each standard to hire one.

Perhaps there was an alternative.

According to Karin, the Hyuga wanted Neji back very badly. There was the possibility that he could demand a two, perhaps even a five, decade contract in exchange for Neji's return.

Not that Uchiha could be seen to hand members of its crew over to others.

Perhaps a bungled contract kidnapping. Neji could either be dead or declared dead; which made no difference to Madara. The Hyuga could express their regret that their attempt to regain a lost Hyuga had failed. Uchiha could demand reparations, which could be the new contract.

Yes, that would do nicely. He would write an outline and send it to Karin.

They had started talking about the survey so Madara resumed listening. It was the type of conversation during which they might speak about the innovations that set Uchiha apart: the miniature Mulligan drive; the improver; the minigate strings; the modular space stations; the route finder.

He was still struggling with the notion that Uchiha could afford eleven gates and eighteen planets, five of which were habitable. Nothing Orochimaru had told him had suggested that Uchiha was that wealthy.

Had having the improvers and creating the minigate communication system earned Uchiha so much?

Also, how had they obtained the new routes? Not by Space Hopping, or a survey would not be necessary. It had to be the route finder. Was that an Uchiha monopoly, like the minigates, or was it a service they obtained from a third party, like the miniature Mulligan drives and the improvers?

For now all he could do was listen and ask the occasional question.

The meal ended and he excused himself, determined to spend as little time in the Scavenger's company as possible. To his surprise, Konohamaru offered to walk with him back to his apartment.

"Life in the household is less formal while Sasuke-sama is not in residence, Izuna-sama," Konohamaru warned him. "You may be more comfortable eating in your apartment. Choza would be happy to send meals. Keitaro could bring them."

So Konohamaru had noticed his reaction to the Scavenger. "I shall keep what you say in mind, Konohamaru-san." Perhaps this was an opportunity to investigate possibilities for the kidnapping. "Once the interview is over, do you think it would be possible for me to occasionally leave the household?"

"I think you may be underestimating the media's obsession with Uchiha," Konohamaru replied. He paused before continuing. "There is the concert hall. Sasuke-sama has been there on occasion. Its security is admirable. The other parts of the Uchiha compound are also secure. If you want a venue to meet outsiders, you could use the headquarters or it may be possible to hire a private room in the restaurant above Prime."

"Outsiders, Konohamaru-san?" he queried.

"May I speak frankly, Izuna-sama?"

"Please do, Konohamaru-san."

"You may struggle to find company among the crew, particularly after Neji-san and Shikamaru-san have left. You may wish to follow up some of the invitations that will flood in once the interview has been broadcast."

"I shall consider your recommendation," Madara replied. "They had reached the outer door to his apartment. "Could I persuade you to come in for a drink, Konohamaru-san?"

He bowed. "I am honoured by the invitation, Izuna-sama, but I have a prior commitment."

Madara inclined his head in return. "Konohamaru-san."

He watched the young man walk away, not at all displeased that his invitation had been declined.

He had a kidnapping to plan.

* * *

.

* * *

Sumiko was on a high after her first evening meal with the adults. For once Shikamaru did not need Neji's warning looks; either he calmed her down or it would be a disturbed night followed by a whole day of grumpy Su-chan.

"Why don't you wash and get into your pyjamas?" he suggested. "Then you can come and sit with me and Ne-chan." He could see her about to object. "Ne-chan could brush your hair and I could tell you a story," he added.

"Shower tomorrow rather than bath tonight?" she proposed.

"Whichever you prefer, Su-chan," he agreed.

"Bath would have been better," Neji observed as soon as she was in her room undressing. "It relaxes her more."

"Fighting over it doesn't," Shikamaru pointed out. "I'll make some new bath bubbles for her. Then she'll be happy taking baths for a while."

Neji said nothing.

It was an eloquent silence. When it came to Sumiko, Shikamaru bargained when Neji would have insisted. As Shikamaru was Su-chan's Nii-san, there was much more bargaining than insisting.

Sumiko danced out of her room, waving her hairbrush. "Ready!" she declared.

Neji gave him another look.

He let her stay up until she felt asleep on the couch. Then he carried her through and tucked her into her bed. He was about to move away, relieved that it had worked, when he realised that she was awake.

"Go back to sleep, Su-chan," he said; more a plea than a command.

She blinked sleepily. "Night-night, Nii-san," she agreed.

"Night-night, Su-chan," he replied.

"She is eight," Neji pointed out once the door was closed. "Couldn't we have a routine in the evenings? She copes well enough with it during the day."

Shikamaru did not want to discuss it now. He sat back down on the couch. "I'll think about it. Then I'll talk to her about it."

Neji sighed.

There was something about the tone of the sigh. "Ne-chan?" he queried.

"Naruto talked to me before he left," Neji told him.

It was not the reply he had expected. One of the few problems of having Na-chan as a best friend was that he occasionally took it upon himself to talk to Neji. "And?" he asked, hoping that Neji wasn't going to make him guess.

"When were you going to tell me that Izuna-sama is trying to seduce you?"

"Never?" Shikamaru suggested hopefully.

The uncharacteristic flash in Neji's eyes confirmed that he hadn't picked the safest answer.

"I wasn't sure that it wasn't all in my head, so I asked Na-chan," Shikamaru explained. "He..."

Neji cut him off. "Naruto gave me all the details," he confirmed.

Shikamaru squirmed, knowing Naruto that had included the fact that he found Izuna attractive. "Nothing is going to come of it."

"Because Naruto says he's not right for you," Neji challenged.

"Yes, but not just because of that." There were a multitude of reasons; as many of them were about staying with Neji as they were about staying away from Izuna.

"That's consoling," Neji retorted; his voice laced with sarcasm.

Were they having a fight? He had never fought with Neji so Shikamaru wasn't sure. He remembered his parents' fights; his Ma yelling and his Pa's silence. Was he meant to yell or be silent? Would any doors be slammed?

"Shika," Neji whispered.

Shikamaru realised that he was hunched up with his eyes screwed shut. He opened one eye cautiously.

Neji sighed. "Come here," he encouraged, offering a hug.

Shikamaru slid along the couch and settled against Neji's chest.

"I wish I had heard it from you and not Naruto," he explained. "You should have said something once you and Naruto had figured out what was going on." He smiled. "I should have guessed that something was up when I discovered Su-chan was on a sleepover and we were spending the evening in the onsen."

Shikamaru felt himself flush. "Naruto said I wasn't working hard enough on our relationship and he was right."

Neji's arm tightened around him. "It takes two, Shika."

He felt awful. "I am sorry, I'll try..."

Neji silenced him with a brief kiss. "I didn't mean it that way. I should work harder as well. What could I do that would help?"

"Fuck me when and where I don't expect it?" Shikamaru suggested. "Not only in our bed every third night?"

Neji smiled. "I'll see what I can do. Not in our office though," he added quickly.

Shikamaru's mind went from one venue to another; having so many people away opened up new possibilities. "Sasuke's office," he suggested.

"Shika," Neji warned.

Shikamaru was on a roll. "Haku's closet."

Neji growled and started to tickle him.

"Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei's bed," he added before Neji settled to his task in earnest and it was all he could do not to shriek and wake Su-chan.

Next thing he knew he was slung over Neji's shoulder and on his way into their bedroom.

Which would certainly do for now.

* * *

.


	19. Rehearsal

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, mikako17, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, cynder81, darkdragonalucard and melissen for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**19: Rehearsal**

* * *

Haru followed Akemi into survey command and control; the dedicated facility that had been designed and installed on the Oak. He put his satchel into a locker, helped Akemi run safety checks and then settled into the data manager's chair. Akemi took up his position at communications.

There was a twin to this room in the Maple. Haru wondered who would be in the equivalent of his seat. Shino-san? Kotetsu-san?

Papa was a tough Captain. Or perhaps not; Haru had never been part of a mission before. Maybe all captains ran drill after drill when they had a new crew. He had even inspected their 'personal basics'; the items they would take with them if they ever had to abandon ship.

Haru's were in his satchel with his data crystal array and toolkit.

He smiled, remembering Papa's amazement as he went through the supplementary kit the big litter had developed. It was small and light but contained an astonishing range of equipment. Papa had picked up yet another gadget and looked at Haru enquiringly.

"Lock pick," Haru had explained. "Itachi-san won't let us use anything in a sim that we don't carry in real life."

Today wasn't exactly a drill; more like a rehearsal. They were going through an ungated hole that had been jumped before as if it hadn't. That way they would be ready and confident when they were tackling an unjumped hole.

"Checks," Akemi ordered.

Haru began by checking the interface, followed by the sensors, the feeds, the displays and access to the database. "Initial checks completed, Akemi-san, all systems operating within expected parameters."

Akemi gave him a look.

"All systems operational," he amended. He felt himself colour. Akemi was right; people didn't want to be thinking about limits and error margins when they were jumping a hole or, worse, in a battle.

Papa had talked about him giving Akemi support but, in truth, it was much more the other way around. Akemi had five standards' experience of missions and he had none.

He was thankful that Akemi was so patient; like him agreeing to arrive here ten minutes early so they could run through all the checks before Papa arrived.

Doing it for real wasn't the same as a sim; his gut didn't do flip-flops when he was in the simulator.

Papa arrived with Dan, Inari and Hoshi. He nodded to Akemi, directed a small smile towards Haru and settled at the commander's station with Dan beside him. Hoshi strapped herself into one of the other chairs at the side of the room.

Inari sat in the observer's position. He would be commanding the Silver Leaf, so had no role in the Oak's jump team. Instead he and Tayuya had been asked to monitor the process and report back.

Haru watched Papa's fingers dance expertly across the interfaces. He hit the intercom.

"This is Sasuke in survey command and control. Please report."

It was weird to hear Papa's voice echoed through the intercom.

"_This is Itachi in the control room. System check complete. Mulligan drive on standby. Kisame and Hikaru are with me."_

"This is Akemi in survey command and control. Communication systems checked and operational. Inari and Hoshi are with me."

Haru's heart was racing. It was his turn. "This is Haru in survey command and control. Data management systems checked and operational."

"_This is Naruto in weapons control. System check complete. Weapons readied. Surface network primed. Ryuu is with me."_

"_This is Kazuki in weapons turret one. System check complete. Weapons readied."_

"_This is Yoshimi in weapons turret two. System check complete. Weapons readied."_

"_This is Yasushi in weapons turret three. System check complete. Weapons readied."_

"_This is Keizo in weapons turret four. System check complete. Weapons readied."_

"_This is Kuuya in weapons turret five. System check complete. Weapons readied."_

"_This is Gai in the Sakura. System check complete. Docking bay doors checked. Cherry and Blossom engaged. Weapons checked."_

"_This is Hamaki in the Cherry. System check complete. Weapons checked. Terai and Fu are with me."_

"_This is Haku in the playroom. The crew room is locked down. Yuki, Mai, Naomi, Shou, Takara, Teruko and Tsuneo are with me."_

"_This is Rin. The infirmary is prepared. Ran is with me."_

"_This is Tayuya observing from communications."_

Haru watched the counter click to thirty-one and turn blue. "This is Haru. All personnel reported and located."

Papa gave him a small nod of approval. "This is Sasuke. Proceed to threshold distance and hold relative position."

"_Itachi here. Proceeding to threshold distance from the hole."_

After that it was just like the sim. They held position at threshold distance, activated the drive and extended the field. Akemi and Haru analysed all the collected data, compared it with what was expected and sent the summary to Papa. Once they had the go-ahead, they moved forward and jumped.

There was the familiar momentary disorientation and then Haru was analysing data from the sensors about the new system.

Nothing was amiss. They moved away from the hole to the threshold and closed down the field.

Papa made everyone stay at their stations for another fifty minutes. Haru was glad that he had incoming data to explore, analyse and distribute. He imagined Kazuki in his turret. He would be so bored and, given that they had missed their midmeal, so hungry.

Finally it came. "This is Sasuke. The jump alert is over. Resume everyday operations. It is watch two. I repeat, it is watch two." He looked towards Inari, who nodded. "Good work, everyone. There is no need for a debrief. I repeat, no debrief."

Watch two meant that Gai and Dan would be in the control room with Ya-chan and Yo-chan as runners. They would deploy half of the minigate, which would then automatically align with the half they had left in the other system.

Haru's next task would be working with Akemi to test it. If all went according to plan that would be late that afternoon. Meanwhile he had some time to himself.

He grabbed his satchel and headed for the galley; given the missed meal that was where most people would go.

Tayuya was already cooking by the time he got there, which was a relief because she made good food and kept everyone in order.

Kazuki rushed in, saw there was nothing on the table yet and whimpered. "What can I do to speed things up, Tayuya-san?" he asked.

"You and Haru could set the table," she suggested.

Kazuki shoved the cutlery basket into Haru's hands and dashed about; by the time Haru placed the last spoon everything else was on the table and others had started to arrive. Haru put the cutlery basket back in its place and took the chair next to Ran.

"I am so hungry," Kazuki moaned as he sat down. "May I start, Tayuya-san?"

Tayuya waved the spoon she was holding. "Go ahead. You need to keep a good supply of meal bars with you, Kazu-kun. Now you have duties meals may be delayed, like today, or even missed."

Kazuki was heaping food onto his plate. "I try, but I keep eating them," he admitted.

"I'll put out a basket. You, the other kits and Ryuu-kun must take as many as you need."

Haru watched the food being transferred into Ka-chan stomach at a truly remarkable rate. When he looked back at his plate it was full; Ran must have served him.

"Eat," Ran reminded him. "Were you happy with how the jump went?"

Haru nodded. "It's scary having such a big responsibility but it's interesting. What was it like in the infirmary?"

"Fine," Ran replied. "We just get on with stuff."

Kazuki paused between mouthfuls. "It's really boring in the turret," he admitted.

Kuuya and Keizo nodded from further up the table. "Can't be helped," Kuuya pointed out. "Got to be ready in case but you know nothing is going to happen."

Haru sympathised. The route used holes that had either never been jumped or not used for thousands of standards; the chances of someone attacking them were... he began calculating.

"Food, Haru," Ran reminded him.

Haru sighed; calculating odds was much more fun, and faster, when Sai was around.

People came and went. Akemi sat down to eat while Fu-san grabbed a basket and filled it; he, Hamaki-san and Terai-san must be eating in the small galley off their crew room. Itachi-san, Kisame-san and Hi-chan were still talking about probes and minigates as they sat down and served themselves. Ryuu sat next to Hikaru while To-chan ate quickly and went off to relieve Haku-san in the playroom. He and Papa crossed paths and kissed in the doorway. Just behind Papa were Inari-san and Hoshi.

Haku-san and Yuki arrived soon afterwards. Haku checked with Tayuya which crew members had eaten, ordered her to sit down and began preparing two baskets; one for the control room and one for the infirmary.

Kuuya, Keizo and Kazuki were despatched to deliver the baskets and Haku took his place at the table.

Haru felt Haku-san's eyes on him and began eating more quickly. Not clearing his plate was no longer an option.

Haku-san was as tough a queen as Papa was a captain.

"May I make a suggestion, Sasuke-sama?" Haku-san began as he poured his tea.

"Of course, Haku-san," Papa replied.

"Next time we have a manoeuvre such as a jump, we time it so that it does not clash with a mealtime." He replaced the pot on the table. "Drills, of course, are different. By their nature are often at inconvenient times and thus I understand that the extra work they generate is inevitable."

Haru kept his head down but risked looking sideways at Ran, who was looking back. Haku-san was telling Papa off.

"You make an excellent suggestion that I shall keep in mind, Haku-san," Papa replied.

Haku settled for a nod of acknowledgement and sipped his tea before turning his attention to others around the table.

"Ran-kun I believe Naruto-san is in more need of your help this afternoon than Rin-san," he directed between sips. "Hikaru-kun, you are on galley duty. I expect everything to be ready for me to start cooking within thirty minutes. Yuki-kun and Hoshi-kun, the closet could do with some attention. Ryuu-kun, I want you, Kuu-kun, Kazu-kun and Kei-kun to catch up with some corridor cleaning. Haru-kun, I know that Akemi-san needs you later, so try to get some rest."

Haru squirmed. He wished that Haku-san have given him some cleaning to do; even being told to scrub a head would have been better than being let off entirely.

He joined in the chorus of "Yes, Haku-san," but kept his eyes on his plate rather than see Hikaru's resentment.

"I wish Haku-san wouldn't treat me as a special case," he complained to Ran as they walked towards the playroom.

Ran glanced at him. "You are a special case." He stopped, forcing Haru to do likewise. "You're twelve. You don't have the resilience of an adult. You should set your wrist chronometer to wake you up, go to your room and take a nap. Then you'll do a better job when Akemi needs you later."

Haru resumed walking. "I don't want to."

Ran caught up and they walked together in silence.

"Aren't you going to try to make me?" Haru asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"We're going to the playroom and Naruto-san is there," Ran replied.

* * *

Sasuke had been more shocked than he wished to admit that Haku should criticise him in front of the crew. He decided that he had covered it well, poured himself another cup of coffee and analysed the situation.

Not that what Haku had done was out of turn. It was the queen's duty to make sure that the captain considered the welfare of the crew. It was merely a matter of style; where Iruka would have lectured in private, Haku chose to make pointed remarks in public.

Maybe he had been a little over-zealous with the drills. Perhaps he had ignored the hints Haku had dropped over the last few days.

Now he thought about it, Naruto had commented that the small day-to-day duties were being postponed and that the younger children were becoming fractious because their routine had been disrupted.

He would have sighed but he was still at the table, so he took another mouthful of coffee.

He had not missed how Haku had gone on to focus his attention on the big litter, particularly Haru. Haru did look tired and he was very young to have responsibilities that truly mattered.

More coffee substituted for another sigh. He had been correct that the Oak's crew should cover for Shikamaru and Neji's absence; the alternative was to leave the Maple or the household in Tarrasade short-handed. However, maybe he should have thought longer before giving Haru the data manager's role.

Too late now; Haru would be devastated if he was replaced. Also, he was by far the best choice for the role provided he was rested and not put under too much stress.

It was like handling Shika, but with the limits set much narrower.

Did Haku have any other messages for him? He watched Haru collect his and Ran's plates and take them over to where Hikaru was loading the cleaner.

This time a sigh did escape him. The way Hi-chan stood, the look he gave Haru and the way Haru refused to make eye contact spoke volumes.

When Sasuke looked back Haku was watching him. As they made eye contact Haku gave the tiniest of nods.

Haru left with Ran. Sasuke studied Hikaru. He was still growing his hair, which was undeniably shaggy. The front was dragged back and held with the tie with the locks that wouldn't reach falling in uneven bangs about his face. He wore only black; tight pants, boots and a sleeveless vest covered with a traditional, short spacer's jacket.

The clothes were too old for him. His bangs were too long; Lady knew how he could see. Next thing he would be painting his fingernails.

Then he saw it; black nail polish like Itachi used to wear before Haku weaned him onto purple.

He needed to talk to Naruto.

When he arrived at the playroom he admired the structures the triplets and Shou were building while Ran was helping Mai and Naomi write stories.

"Naruto?" he asked.

"In the snug," Ran replied.

Sasuke thought that was odd until he saw Haru's shoes next to Naruto's. He peered in. Haru was curled around a pillow, already asleep, while Naruto stroked his hair and murmured one of his foxy lullabies.

He felt guilty; he must listen to what Naruto and Haku were telling him, particularly without Neji to advise him or Iruka to lecture him.

Naruto crept out and slid the door closed behind him. "He's fine. Just tired. After a nap he'll be in his element helping Akemi check out the minigate."

"Haru isn't a worry," Sasuke suggested.

Naruto's eyes told him that he was correct.

"But Hikaru is," he added. He smiled. "It took me until today to notice that he is trying to rebel."

Naruto smiled back. "Not the easiest thing to do when you are desperate for your Papa's approval. If it is any consolation, the black nail polish is new."

"Ideas?"

"You won't like it," Naruto warned.

Sasuke steeled himself.

"Let him and Ryuu go with Inari and Tayuya on the Silver Leaf."

Sasuke bit back his immediate response, which was that they were twelve; far too young to be away from their parents and the rest of the litter. Instead he made himself think. The risks would be limited; all they were doing were detailed surveys of the two planets from orbit. They would be in contact via the minigates. He trusted Inari.

Preparing for the mission would give Hikaru lots to do. Afterwards he and Ryuu would be experts on that system; Hikaru would like that.

"I shall think about it," he promised.

Naruto looked at him.

"I shall speak with Inari and get his opinion," he amended and was rewarded with a smile.

Inari initial surprise was short-lived; Sasuke could see him beginning to analyse the situation.

"I think it would do Hikaru-kun good," he admitted. "I do not think that being Hikaru is easy, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke gestured that he should continue.

"He knows that his brothers have greater capacity than him. He has always known that Ryuu and the kits outstrip him physically and he has accepted that Haru has genius traits. Realising that you saw Haru fulfilling a role like Shika-san's helped. Hikaru does not want to be Shika-san. He wishes to be you."

"He should not want to be me. He should want to be himself," Sasuke complained.

Inari chose not to respond. Instead he continued. "Then Hoshi tells you that she wants to remain within Uchiha. She is no longer going to be some elegant professional musician playing the biwa. Now it matters that she is better than him at everything other than singing and fighting."

Singing and fighting were traditional spacer skills; suddenly the long hair, the clothes and the nail polish made sense.

"Then, unexpectedly, Shika-san is detained in Tarrasade and Haru is given the responsibility of being data manager," Inari concluded.

Sasuke had known that Hikaru would react badly to Haru's temporary promotion but he and Naruto had decided long ago that they would not hold back one of their children to satisfy another. "How do you see Hikaru's future, Inari-san?"

Inari squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, so Sasuke knew he was not going to like what was coming.

"As Uchiha's most daring and courageous captain, Sasuke-sama. The leader you send when there may be trouble. The battle commander who plays the odds brilliantly and uses every advantage to its limit."

And, in his mind's eye, Sasuke could see it. It was not difficult. All he had to do was imagine what Itachi would have become if he had been allowed to be himself rather than what their father had wanted him to be.

This was one of those moments, like when Klennethon Darrent had sat opposite him and accused him of not wanting Haru to be a typed-genius.

Daring, courageous captains who played the odds might be magnificent but they usually died young.

"Accompanying you and Tayuya would be a sensible first step," Sasuke acknowledged.

"Yes," Inari agreed. "Provided he understands why you are sending him."

He was on his way to find Hikaru when he realised that he needed to speak with Ryuu first.

Ryuu was with Keizo, Kuuya and Kazuki cleaning corridors as Haku had instructed. Sasuke tried not to smile at the kits' sudden enthusiasm for scrubbing, which was almost certainly a consequence of hearing his footsteps. Ryuu was wielding the polisher, which Sasuke had no doubt he had been doing since receiving Haku's instructions.

"Walk with me, Ry-chan," he instructed.

They headed for the viewing deck, leaving the kits squabbling over who would be in charge of the polisher, for how long and in what order.

"How are things going, Ry-chan?" he began.

Ryuu considered for a moment. "I liked being with To-chan in weapons control this morning."

"Good," Sasuke acknowledged. "Ryuu, when we last talked you said that you hoped you would always be with Hi-chan."

Whiskers drooped, ears went back slightly and Ryuu's tail curved downwards.

Sasuke acted quickly. "And we all think that is a really good idea," he added. To his relief, Ryuu's tail, ears and whiskers recovered. "But I need to know something. Would you mind being separated from the rest of the litter, from your To-chan?"

"I would be with Hi-chan?" Ryuu checked.

Sasuke nodded.

"I would miss you and To-chan very much," Ryuu admitted, "and I would miss the rest of the litter, but I want to be with Hi-chan. Are we going on an adventure?"

"I have not decided yet," Sasuke warned him. "Perhaps. What would be the best adventure?"

Ryuu did not hesitate for a moment. "For us to be trainees on the Ninken."

Sasuke smiled. He should have guessed. "Do you think Hikaru is ready for that yet?" he asked.

"I would look after him," Ryuu promised.

"I know you would, Ry-chan, but you did not answer my question."

Ryuu's ears went back a little. "No, Papa, he isn't ready for that yet. Please don't tell him I said that."

"I won't. Hi-chan is too young to serve on the Ninken. However, you and he could help Inari-san and Tayuya-san survey the two-planet system."

"Be like proper trainees away from you and To-chan?" Ryuu checked. Sasuke nodded and Ryuu's smile blossomed. "That would be awesome, Papa. Hi-chan would like it a lot. If he can't be on the Ninken, he wants to be the trainee assigned to Inari-san's missions. Please decide to allow it."

"I have one condition."

"Yes, Papa?"

"You record a message every evening for your To-chan. A proper message; not just a few words tacked onto someone else's. Your To-chan and I are going to miss you very much and having a message every day will make it easier."

Ryuu smiled. "I can do that, Papa. I already record a message for Kiba-san every day. Kazuki does too. Akemi sends them for us."

Sasuke had not known; he wondered if Naruto did. "That's good, Ry-chan. I am sure that Kiba-san looks forward to receiving them. Shall we go and ask Hikaru if he likes the idea of being trainee on Inari-san's next mission?"

"Yes please, Papa," Ryuu replied.

* * *

.


	20. Delays

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, danalexkayarimad, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81 and melissen for reviewing Leader.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

_Author's note_

_I cannot emphasise how much it means to me to hear from readers. I am posting about 7000 words a week, occasionally more, which means writing at least 7000 words a week, which is proving tough. Every time someone reviews it is encouragement, a little push, to keep going. You may think you have nothing to say but it means so much to me that you are willing to take the time to put down a few words._

_So THANK YOU SO MUCH to those loyal readers who regularly review and THANK YOU to those who occasionally review and 'please do' to those of you who think about doing so but decide 'not this time'._

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 2: Preparations**

**20: Delays**

* * *

Shikamaru had almost finished his daily message to Haru. He checked Haru's latest data packet again; a Go move, the solution to one of the puzzles he had sent, a ridiculously difficult mathematics problem and an excited description of what he had been doing as data manager.

No, there was nothing else he should add to his reply. Once it was encoded and compressed, he sent it on its way.

He missed Haru, and Naruto, and Sasuke, and the other children, and Iruka, and Kakashi, and Haku; it wasn't meant to be like this.

Less than two more days to go and then he, Neji and Su-chan would be away in the Dart, closing the gap with every jump.

He was about to dive into the data streams when it occurred to him that Neji should have been bothering him by now. He pulled down his goggles but all he could see were the screens they had installed so that Sasuke could not see his mess.

They should have taken them down once Sasuke had left.

He pulled out his earpieces, got up and went to see if Neji was at his desk. He was and Shikamaru could tell that he was worrying about something.

"Ne-chan?" he asked.

Neji jumped. Neji never jumped. Then there was the smile; it was nothing like a Neji-smile. It was like someone else's smile on Neji's face.

"What's wrong?" he demanded. "Has something else gone wrong with the interview?"

"Not the interview," Neji admitted. "Sit down, Shika,"

That sounded bad. Not horrifically bad or Neji wouldn't have pretended to smile. No one had died or was hurt. He perched on the edge of Neji's desk.

"You know that we are expecting Izuna-sama to receive many invitations after the interview," Neji began.

Shikamaru nodded. Although most of them would be out of the question, he knew that Izuna had been considering a handful of the possibilities Konohamaru was anticipating.

"He wants me with him for the first few."

Shikamaru was about to snort with derision when he read the message in Neji's eyes. "Sasuke couldn't have said yes, he just couldn't!" he complained before accepting that what was done was done. "How could he? Why didn't Na-chan stop him?"

Neji sighed. "I doubt he consulted Naruto. I do know that Izuna asked Sasuke if it would be possible to hire a Hyuga, which is not an unreasonable request given now rich Uchiha is and how difficult it will be for him to integrate into Tarrasade society. Sasuke had to explain that Uchiha is on Hyuga's banned list because of me. Then Konohamaru talked to Sasuke and next thing Sasuke asked me, us, to stay an extra five days."

"Five days!" Shikamaru objected, but, inside, he was grateful it wasn't longer. Given the speed of the Dart they might still make it to the last system in the string before they finished surveying all the planets. "I don't know why he wants to meet outsiders anyway," he grumbled. "Do I have to attend these social engagements?"

"You are banned from leaving the compound. Sasuke-sama's orders."

"I guess it could be worse then," Shikamaru admitted.

"Yes, he could have ordered us not to follow the Oak," Neji pointed out. "After all, I'm needed here more than I am there and Haru is doing a good job of covering for you."

Which was not what Shikamaru wanted to hear; given enough pressure from Izuna, Sasuke might still change his mind during the next seven days.

Even so, it probably wasn't a good idea to answer, "Yes, very much," that afternoon when Izuna asked if he minded staying the extra five days.

Izuna looked hurt. "I am sorry you feel that way, Shikamaru-san."

After that, Shikamaru felt guilty and went out of his way to be helpful. He even promised to generate a version of Sasuke's database interface so that Izuna might find it easier to learn about the outsiders with whom he would be interacting.

"I'll add more historical detail," he explained. "Learning is easier when you can link it to stuff you already know."

Izuna smiled at him with his eyes, like Sasuke did. "That is very kind of you, Shikamaru-san."

"Do we need to go over tomorrow's interview again, Izuna-sama?" Neji asked.

"No. Get dressed. Go to meeting room. Answer prearranged questions. Avoid or evade the extra questions Yukie Fujikaze will insert. Remember that it is meant to be live although it will not be because we have introduced a six minute lag so Shikamaru-san can edit out any appalling gaffs I might make."

Shikamaru wondered if Izuna was as frustrated with the process as he seemed. He noticed that Neji, like him, had chosen not to respond to his mini-outburst.

"Will you be sharing the evemeal with us, Izuna-sama?" Neji asked.

"No. Konan-san has done me the honour of inviting me to her apartment," Izuna replied.

"I suppose there is no chance that Izuna and Konan...?" Shikamaru suggested as they walked back to the crew room.

"I doubt it," Neji replied. "Everything we know about Izuna Uchiha suggests that he only finds men sexually attractive. Certainly the only person he has shown an interest in since coming out of stasis is you. No, I think he likes conversing with Konan."

Shikamaru could see that; Konan was clever, educated and refined. He speeded up. "Let's sweet-talk Choza into giving us a picnic, steal Sumiko from her last session and go to the park."

Neji matched his pace. "Good idea. Maybe we could also ask Choza or Kiba to keep an eye on Sumiko this evening."

Shikamaru's mind went immediately to his list. There were still a few places left.

"Don't even think about it, Shika," Neji warned him. "We are not fucking in Iruka and Kakashi's bed. However, an evening in the onsen would be very pleasant."

* * *

.

* * *

Madara enjoyed being witty and charming to Konan while imagining what Orochimaru was probably doing to Pein at that very moment.

It would be better to be fucking her but that was not an option; at least not yet.

The fact that Konan did not have a clue as to who he was or his connection to Orochimaru made it even more delicious.

Being patient was becoming more and more difficult. It was so close but so far away. A five day delay was not enough. He wanted Shikamaru in Tarrasade when the attack occurred; if he was already underway it would be difficult, probably impossible, to get him back.

He had considered bringing the Hyuga plot forward but the negotiations were delicate and better not rushed. Also, Neji being kidnapped or killed might be enough to persuade Sasuke to abandon the survey and come home.

No, he needed something else.

He had toyed with Sumiko having an accident but Shikamaru would investigate the cause and Madara had no illusions about what would happen to someone who was known to have harmed one of the children. Even being the great Izuna Uchiha would not prevent Kiba from ripping his head off.

An assassination attempt at a social function was a possibility but, again, it risked bringing lines of enquiry to Shikamaru's attention.

The only viable option was a media storm. He could initiate that through Karin. The extra five days should give him the time he needed.

It would have to be enough.

He smiled at Konan, complimented her on the delightful table setting and accepted her invitation to walk in her flower garden.

* * *

.

* * *

Shikamaru compressed and encoded a copy of the video before sending it along the minigate link to the Oak.

The interview had been perfect. Izuna had performed magnificently. Yukie-san had been so dazzled, or perhaps still suffering the after-effects of being podded, that she only asked extra questions that allowed Izuna to demonstrate his charm.

The media were going crazy. Yesterday Uchiha still had to confirm that the man in the pod had been Izuna Uchiha. Today Izuna Uchiha had stepped from the past into the present in front of millions of people; trillions once the video spread throughout known space.

Shikamaru's fingers flew over the interface creating another two layers of filters to sieve through the barrage of incoming communications. They were building up alarmingly quickly; this should be the lag before the response took off exponentially.

He got up and went looking for a two by two by two data crystal array; assuming the pattern was as he had predicted, he was going to need it.

Neji peered around the edge of the screen. "Shika?"

"I was at least one order of magnitude off as to the level of response," Shikamaru admitted. "I need to increase the capacity before we are swamped. We'd be in trouble already if we didn't use dedicated channels for Uchiha traffic."

"We are about to release Sasuke's recorded video. Is there any reason we should delay?"

Shikamaru paused for a moment and considered. "Nothing new," he confirmed. "I need to do this now. If I am quick I can be at the meeting."

He went back to his desk, called up four of the media channels to view while he worked and began connecting the portable data array into a suitable interface. The filters should deflect anything important or urgent for them to view; the other incoming messages would receive an automated reply and be stored in the array for later consideration.

Each of the channels had reached the point where they were running clips of Izuna's interview and then getting comments from experts, celebrities or the public, depending on the target audience.

Then, almost at the same moment, the channels cut to a presenter announcing the release of Sasuke's statement.

He had recorded it sitting at his desk, the Uchiha crest on the wall behind his right shoulder and one of the small three dimensional family portraits close to his left hand.

Shikamaru shook his head; Neji was so predictable. The crest represented Uchiha's power, so was shown above Sasuke's knife hand. The family portrait was close to his rings, which linked him to his parents and to Naruto. When he spoke it was measured, melodic and surprisingly intimate.

"_Finding Izuna Uchiha alive is a wonderful gift. It is an honour to welcome him home and a privilege to spend time with him. We welcome him back into the clan and hope that Izuna-sama will choose to live with us always as an admired and valued member of our family." _The image cut away to show brief shots of Sasuke and Izuna walking together in the park and then sitting in armchairs talking. _"For me, who no longer has parents, uncles, aunts and cousins, a long-lost relative is especially precious." _The view came back to Sasuke sitting at his desk. "_Having that relative turn out to be the great Izuna Uchiha is thrilling; my boyhood hero in the flesh. I know that Uchiha will benefit from his wisdom and experience."_

The image faded to be replaced by presenters, experts, celebrities or members of the public. It would appear that Sasuke's statement had gone down well, which was good.

Shikamaru made the last connection, installed the programme, tweaked the parameters and set it running. He checked the chronometer on his wrist. He would only be a few minutes late for the meeting.

He normally wouldn't have bothered with an apology but Izuna was there so he bowed. "Asuma-san, Izuna-sama, Konohamaru-san, Biwako-san, Sumaru-san, please forgive my tardiness. It was necessary to increase capacity to cater for the incoming messages." He was intrigued to see Biwako and Sumaru; including them must have been Asuma's decision.

Asuma gestured that he should sit down. "Thank you, Shika-san, for reacting so quickly. Preventing a mess is always quicker and easier than cleaning one up. I was explaining to Izuna-sama that he will obviously require his own staff. Until we can reassign personnel or recruit I have asked Biwako-san if she could spare some time, as her knowledge of Tarrasade is unparalleled among the crew. I have also removed Sumaru-san from all other duties. He will operate as Izuna-sama's secretary, at least temporarily. I am sure that Sumaru-san has some secretarial skills and it is, of course, easier to introduce a secretary rather than a bodyguard."

Shikamaru had to suppress a grin as he sat down; Asuma's approach suited him just fine.

"Since security is always easier to provide within the compound, Konohamaru is arranging an office for Izuna-sama in the headquarters that he can use for some of his meetings with outsiders. Until it is ready, Izuna-sama, Konohamaru-san had suggested that you use his office."

Izuna gave a small, stiff bow. "That is most kind of you, Konohamaru-san."

Konohamaru bowed in return. "You are welcome, Izuna-sama."

"Down to work," Asuma warned them. "It makes sense for Izuna-sama to establish some key contacts while Neji-san is here to give feedback about the initial interactions. With that in mind, I thought that we would arrange meetings over the next five days. Konohamaru-san has cleared his schedule, which means that he and Kamatari-san can also be available."

Within ten minutes they had a list of nine people whom Izuna should see in person and established that all of them had already been in contact.

"Neji-san, who should be first?" Asuma asked.

Neji did not even need to check with him, the answer was so obvious. "Hiruzen-sama," Neji replied.

Asuma did at least look to Izuna for confirmation.

"The head of the Fire Shadow organisation," Izuna acknowledged. "Yes, that would be most appropriate."

"Can't expect Hiruzen-sama to look like he is rushing to our door, so why don't you propose tomorrow afternoon, Kono-san?" Asuma suggested. "And Biwako-san, maybe you could make sure you are somewhere else?"

Biwako smiled. "I don't know. It could be fun. All that glass."

"It's unbreakable, obaa-chan," Konohamaru pointed out.

"Do not worry, Kono-chan, I shall not put Hiruzen in a bad mood by making an appearance," Biwako replied. She turned to Izuna. "If no one has told you, Izuna-sama, Hiruzen and I were partners long ago."

"No, I had not realised that," Izuna admitted. "How interesting."

* * *

.

* * *

Madara was having difficulty concentrating. It took all his will and energy to maintain the Izuna persona because, underneath, he was seething with fury.

One moment everything had been proceeding smoothly. The next Asuma had stolen control of the situation. Now he had a secretary he did not want, an office he had not asked for and nine appointments about which he had been barely consulted.

He hated realising he had underestimated people and, without doubt, he had done so with Asuma. Asuma, who, unless Madara's knack for spotting familial features was failing him, was related to Konohamaru, Biwako and, in all probability, to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Perhaps it would be possible to adjourn for now, Asuma-san," he suggested. "I would like to familiarise myself with these nine individuals and their organisations. Shikamaru-san could walk me through the new database interface he has prepared for me. Then, perhaps, we could meet again, either later today or tomorrow morning."

Asuma looked directly at him. "As you wish, Izuna-sama. I suggest that Kono-san updates you later today as to how far he had got with setting up the meetings and we all meet tomorrow morning. Feel free to use this room for your meeting with Shika-san and Neji-san. It will save time if you do not change venues."

Madara managed polite bows as the others left. As Asuma had suggested, Neji stayed.

"Do you want me to stay, Izuna-sama?" Sumaru asked.

"Not this time, Sumaru-san," Madara answered hastily, before one of the others could suggest that was an excellent idea. "Perhaps you could ask Choza-san if he could send Keitaro-kun with some tea."

"I shall bring it myself, Izuna-sama," Sumaru replied.

He waited until Sumaru had followed the others from the room and shut the door before asking his question.

"Why has no one told me that Asuma-san is related to Biwako-san and Konohamaru-san?" he asked.

Shikamaru and Neji exchanged looks. "Because he is not," Shikamaru replied.

He was about to argue but Neji spoke first. "Like Itachi-san is not Uchiha."

Madara anger faded to annoyance as curiosity took over. "Hiruzen Sarutobi gave his baby son to Uchiha?" Sasuke had mentioned the practice and that it had been abandoned.

"We would not know," Neji replied.

"And would not ask," added Shikamaru.

"Or expect an answer if we did," Neji concluded. "As Sasuke-sama says, there are certain responsibilities that he has inherited and must uphold."

Madara was intrigued. Was Uchiha obliged to put Hiruzen Sarutobi at the top of each list because he had sacrificed his son? Or was it because Sasuke Uchiha had been fostered in his household when orphaned? Or both?

"You wanted to see how the database interface would work, Izuna-sama," Neji reminded him. The door slid open. "And here is Sumaru-san with the tea. Perhaps he could stay and familiarise himself with the database, Izuna-sama."

He had to agree; Izuna would have gone out of his way to be pleasant to the young man.

Madara often wished his brother has been less insufferably nice.

The interface was excellent. Unfortunately it would leave an electronic trail and could therefore, for now, only be used to look into people in whom Izuna would be interested.

Shikamaru's oscillating mood intrigued him. The closer the planned departure of the Dart, the livelier he became. He had been depressed by the extra five days' delay and today he was particularly cheerful, as if Asuma's interference made it more likely that the Dart would leave as planned.

Madara concurred; he would have to take a risk he had hoped to avoid. It was the only sure way of escalating the situation to a point when Shikamaru's departure would be impossible.

* * *

.

* * *

Shikamaru grabbed a flask of coffee from the kitchen and sauntered along the corridor to his office. Sumiko had rushed off for a session with Konan and Nagato in hydroponics. Neji was with Izuna in the headquarters. The first two days of meetings had gone well.

Two more nights and they would be on their way.

He settled at his desk and activated his favoured interface for analysing communications.

The lag warned him even before he was faced with a mass of amber and red. He called up his direct wireless link to the control room and requested a voice link.

"_Choza here."_

Choza being on watch emphasised how short-handed they were now that Asuma had assigned Sumaru to Izuna. "Shikamaru here. Is there anything I should know?"

"_The watch commander for Levels 5 and 6 has requested a conference with Asuma as soon as he is available."_

That wasn't good; it suggested a public order issue. "Thanks, Choza. I'll leave you to it."

He brought up the two main news channels before beginning on the messages that had been identified as both urgent and important.

What he saw made his heart sink. A crowd gathered around a preacher. Behind the preacher was a huge image of Izuna. Even before his ears turned into what the news presenter was saying, Shikamaru's mind had provided the answer. Izuna Uchiha was back from the dead; that appealed to those looking for someone to deliver them from their problems or even merely the tedium of their everyday lives.

Worse, it attracted people like the preacher he was watching. Best scenario; he was crazy but harmless. After that it was a sliding scale that ended with a megalomaniac who thought nothing of sacrificing innocents. Between the two extremes were various versions of undesirable with differing degrees of nasty.

The expert on one of the news channels was sneering. Shikamaru sighed; he knew better. In a space station such as Tarrasade, where so many had so little but few were actually starving, such fads spread like fire.

He might be able to stop it, or at least mitigate it, if he moved fast.

His fingers flew across the interface, sorting the incoming messages into those that were relevant and those that could wait. He constructed and initiated a search and sent messages to a few key people before diving into the data streams to check for new currents. Then he used what he had learnt to create and run a predictive model.

What it told him only confirmed what he already knew; they weren't going to be on the Dart any time soon.

* * *

.


	21. Jump

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

I always appreciate reviews - it is readers' encouragement that keeps me writing. Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, Whispering-Softly and melissen for reviewing Leader.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by oo****oo.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 3: Betrayal**

**21: Jump**

* * *

Sasuke lifted Tsuneo onto his lap. Naruto had Teruko on one knee and Takara on the other. The older children were milling about waiting for the countdown.

"Do you understand what we are doing?" he asked his youngest son.

"Yes, Papa," Tsuneo assured him. "We are going to talk to Ry-chan and Hi-chan but it will be weird because their words will take a long time to get to us."

"Even though the words are travelling like light," Takara added, "and light travels really fast."

"It's because we're a long way away," explained Teruko.

"That's right," Sasuke agreed. "Here comes the countdown."

The older children gathered closer. Hoshi, Yuki, Haru and Kazuki managed to squash onto the couch with them while Keizo, Yoshimi, Yasushi and Kuuya sat on the floor in front.

They had been able to converse with Hikaru and Ryuu for the first few days after the Silver Leaf had undocked. Then the lag had become too great so they had started sending video messages back and forth. It had not been the same; it felt wrong not to have the whole family involved at the same time.

Haru had come up with an idea for the latest exchange. Each end had prepared a video that lasted for the lag. The video had been sent in advance, as soon as the link was established. At the end of the countdown each end would send greeting and then watch the other's video. By the time the video was finished, the greeting would have arrived. Then they could watch those at the other end's reacting to the videos.

"Five, four, three, two, one," Naruto counted down.

"Greetings Hi-chan and Ry-chan," they chorused. "Give our regards to Inari-san and Tayuya-san."

"We love you and miss you," Naruto added.

The video, like the ones before it, was wonderful. Sasuke did not think he had ever seen Hikaru so excited and involved or Ryuu so confident. This one included more about the planet with a standardised ecology. The Silver Leaf had moved into a lower orbit, which meant that the images were more detailed. They had launched twelve probes, all of which were sending back data.

Then there was the everyday stuff. Hikaru now understood that duties were not only about doing your duty, but making life onboard ship better for everyone.

Sasuke could remember the same experience when he had begun catting on the Silver Leaf.

The video ended with a great clip of the four of them having a sing-song. After that came Hi-chan and Ry-chan's greeting.

"Don't cry, To-chan," Teruko said.

Sasuke looked in time to see Naruto wipe away a tear. He slipped an arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze.

"I'm fine, Te-chan," Naruto insisted. He looked at the camera, realising that the images were on their way to Ryuu and Hikaru. "Parents do soppy stuff like crying when their children grow up."

"We are so proud of you," Sasuke added. "You are doing such a fine job of assisting Inari-san and Tayuya-san."

That evening Naruto sat in the nursery with the triplets until they were asleep, something he did not usually do unless one of them was upset. Sasuke recognised the signs, visited the head and prepared himself thoroughly. He then stripped and waited for him on their bed.

Finally Naruto came through and slid the door shut behind him. Sasuke held out his arms and Naruto came to him.

"We have to let them go," Naruto acknowledged, holding Sasuke tight as if to compensate. "Otherwise we will lose them."

**oo******oo**

Usually they fell sleep together. This time Naruto drifted away first. Sasuke could hear the change in his breathing and feel the tiny twitches that marked his transition from waking to sleeping.

As he followed his beloved's example, Sasuke's mind wandered through the life they shared: their love; their children; their family; the life they had built together.

He could not want for more; he was the luckiest of men.

* * *

Haru made sure he was up early so that he would be properly prepared for the next jump. Jumps were now timed for mornings or afternoons. This one, the one into the final system of the planned route, would be this morning.

They had three previously unjumped holes behind them and everything had gone smoothly. Haru had settled into the procedure and began to think of small refinements to discuss with Shi-chan.

Shi-chan wasn't going to join them. It had been a huge disappointment but Haru understood; the situation in Tarrasade was too volatile. Shi-chan talked about it in his daily message. It was weird; every time potential trouble was quashed in one place it broke out in another. Shi-chan had begun thinking that it was being orchestrated by agitators.

No Shi-chan meant no Sai. Haru missed him, but being so busy helped. He hoped that Sumiko was being sensible about keeping the secret. He guessed she was, or Shi-chan would have said something.

The galley was busy; everyone was eating breakfast in time for the jump. Only Kazuki, Itachi-san and Kisame-san were absent because they were on first watch; Haru hoped Ka-chan had taken enough meal bars with him to last through the morning. Even Papa was there. He and To-chan were sitting close together; Haru knew they were pressing their knees together under the table.

Then, all at once, more people were leaving than arriving. Hoshi and Yuki departed with Haku-san and the children to the playroom. To-chan kissed Papa and left with Kuuya, Keizo, Yoshimi and Yasushi to run weapons checks before the jump. Gai, Hamaki, Terai and Fu went to man the Sakura.

Haru ate more quickly; he did not want Akemi or Papa getting to survey command and control before him.

He walked with Ran until their paths diverged and arrived first, as he had planned. He put his satchel in the locker, went through the safety procedures, powered up everyone's interfaces and settled into his chair to begin running his checks.

One of the projectors was displaying the data they currently had about the system into which they were jumping. There was quite a lot; presumably the original Space Hopper had spent more time there because two of the six planets were suitable for seeding with a standard ecology.

Haru was looking forward to surveying the planets; Hikaru and Ryuu's vids had whetted his appetite even more than the data Inari-san had sent.

Akemi arrived, followed by Dan and Papa. They settled into the familiar routine. Everyone was a little more relaxed than the last three times because this hole had been jumped by the Space Hopper who had first explored the system, even if it had been many millenniums ago.

Papa initiated the roll call. Haru monitored the count. Then, with everyone accounted for, they were ready to jump.

There was the familiar momentary disorientation. Haru's eyes went to the projection showing the parameters of the jump field in the new system. They were fine, well within the normal range.

"_This is Naruto. There are ships, I repeat, there are ships."_

Haru clung momentarily to the hope that the ships would be friendly, or at least neutral. Then the jump field data went haywire. A disrupted jump field meant they could not jump back.

"This is Haru," he heard himself say. "There are perturbations in the jump field. 84% probability it is minded." He sounded so calm, which was weird. He was reacting as if it was a sim, even though it wasn't.

"This is Sasuke Uchiha in command. Command: battle stations. Repeat. Command: battle stations."

Akemi was out of his chair and opening a locker. Haru managed to react in time and catch the suit before it bounced off him. He put it on without taking his eyes off the projections, leaving his helmet back and his gloves off like Papa and Dan-san.

As well as the minefield there were masses of ships, most of them very small. As he watched each ship acquired a label; Itachi-san was preparing the battleboard. Haru began analysing the radiation coming from each of them, looking for the characteristic pattern given off by the miniature Mulligan drives.

There was only one. The ship was well back and there were almost sixty of the tiny craft, probably solo fighters, between it and the Oak.

It was an ambush.

"This is Sasuke. Command: defensive mode 2. Gunners, shoot to destroy any ship that comes within range. Command: section leaders report in order."

"_This in Itachi. There is one medium ship, T1, two small ships, T2 and T3, and fifty-six small craft, T4 though T59. All ships are beyond the range of our guns. None of them are showing colours or transmitting identifiers. The space around the hole is full of explosive devices, both within and outside the threshold. We have brushed one and are close to eight others, so they are not mines and it is likely that detonation is controlled remotely. Report complete."_

Haru began investigating possible signals between the enemy ships and the bombs. If it were him, he would have some set on a dead man switch; if the signal was interrupted they would detonate. Others would be on timers, so that they exploded at regular intervals and continued to disrupt the jump field. He scanned the electromagnetic radiation, looking for possible signals.

"_This is Naruto. All ships are out of range. We could shoot the bombs. The surface network is now at pre-activation. Report complete."_

"_This is Gai. The Cherry is engaged and we are ready to launch. Report complete."_

"_This is Rin. We are ready to destroy the tissue bank and are standing by. Report complete."_

"This is Akemi. There are no incoming signals. We are ready to destroy all data banks. Report complete."

"_This is Haku. The children have been podded. I request permission to hand over to Hoshi."_

That was interesting; Haru wondered what Haku was planning.

"This is Sasuke. Command: Hoshi, take charge of the podded children in the playroom."

"_This is Hoshi acknowledging and complying with the command to take charge. Report complete."_

"This is Sasuke. We would have been blown to pieces by now if they didn't want something. Ideas please."

"_This is Haku. If they request contact, please make sure that the quality of the video and audio are low. This will allow us to maintain uncertainty as to who is aboard."_

Haru could see the sense in that.

"This is Sasuke. Agreed. Command: Akemi, install audio and visual filters."

"This is Akemi. Suitable filters have been engaged."

"_This is Itachi. Download all available data about the system to each ship and refresh frequently while possible."_

Haru had it set up and ready to go before Papa could finish giving the order.

"This is Sasuke. Command: Haru, set up download and refresh. Command: Akemi, ensure link is established but will terminate if we abandon ship."

Haru handed the process over to Akemi, who nodded to acknowledge its receipt. "This is Akemi, download and refresh implemented."

"_This is Naruto. We may be able to take out enough of the bombs with our guns so that the Oak would survive the level of explosion they could manage with the remainder."_

Haru decided to be brave. "This is Haru. I postulate that there are at least two types of bombs, some set on timers to keep the jump field disrupted and some kept from exploding by signals from one of the ships. From the positioning and electromagnetic output of the ships, T3 is most likely controlling the bombs that are not on a timer. Also, T1 has a miniature Mulligan drive. There is no evidence that T2 or T3 have jump capacity. T4 through T59 are too small to have jump drives. Most likely conclusion is that T1 is a small mother ship, like the Maple but larger."

"_This is Itachi. It is most likely that the trap is for us. Haru, can you compare the technology to that of known organisations?"_

He should have thought of that; he had access to Shi-chan's data array. "This is Haru. Will do." Even with his suit gloves off, his fingers could not move fast enough across this interface. What he found made him feel sick.

It was the Akatsuki; that meant Pein, or Orochimaru, or both.

* * *

Deep inside, Sasuke's rage boiled.

On the surface, and for many layers beneath, he was calm. Making the best decisions required him to think clearly and he knew how irrational he could be when he was angry.

"Haru here. 90% plus overlap with the Akatsuki. Less than 30% overlap with any other known organisation."

On balance, that was good; Sasuke would prefer to be dealing with a known enemy than an unknown one. Inside the inferno flared. The Akatsuki were here; now. They had been betrayed; again.

He wished Shikamaru was with them. By now Shika would have considered twenty options and dismissed sixteen of them.

But it did not require a typed-seven genius to know they were in deep, deep trouble. The enemy was extremely well prepared. They were out of weapons range, surrounded by bombs and unable to jump back through the hole. The minigate had not been established, so they were out of contact and systems away from any possible rescue.

In this situation, they negotiated and hoped to survive or refused to negotiate and died.

If it was Orochimaru, he would want the hybrids and Sasuke had no intention of giving his beloved or his sons to that monster.

"Sasuke here. We are listing options. Haru, make note. Option one, we prevent the distortion of the jump field and jump back through the hole. Option two, we go to full attack and hope that more of us and our resources survive than them and their resources. Three, we abandon the Oak and hide within the system. Others?"

"_Kisame here. Four, when they jump back through the hole a small craft piggybacks."_

Piggybacking was risky and difficult but Sasuke conceded that it was an option.

"_This is Haku. Five, we sneak people off the ship without the enemy's knowledge. Six, Itachi impersonates Sasuke-sama."_

Sasuke bridled at the thought of Itachi being captured or, worse, killed in his place. Then he considered who had made the suggestion and was humbled; to dismiss the suggestion would belittle Haku's loyalty and sacrifice.

"This is Haru. Six, we release our side of the minigate but with a delay in its instruction. Then, whatever the outcome, there will be a chance of communication."

"_This is Hoshi. Seven, we give a show of negotiating to gain time."_

Sasuke deactivated the intercom. "Akemi, get me a private channel to Itachi-san." He switched the intercom back on. "This is Sasuke. Command: Haru, reprogramme all three of the minigates we have; we need at least one of them to survive. Command: Hoshi and Yuki, move the children's pods to docking bay 3 and secure them there."

"_This is Hoshi. Received and understood."_

"The private channel is ready, Sasuke-sama," Akemi told him. "Channel 3."

He switched from intercom to suit radio. "Itachi?" he asked quietly.

"Sasuke-sama," Itachi acknowledged. "Sasu-chan," he whispered, "permit me to do this. Haku is correct. It opens up many more options."

Itachi had not called him Sasu-chan since he was eight. "You will need to prepare. Should I send Dan to replace you?"

"Yes. May I make some suggestions?"

"Please."

"Hoshi with Dan here in the control room. Kuuya goes to weapons control. Yuki can take Kuuya's turret. Kisame replaces Naruto at weapons control," Itachi continued. "Naruto belongs at your side, ready to react if required."

Sasuke's gut twisted; Itachi thought that they would be abandoning ship. He imagined being on the Blossom having left the older children to fend for themselves and felt slightly sick.

At least they would have the triplets with them; if there were only two adults they could fit in all six child-sized pods.

"If it comes to it, Haru should be in the Blossom with you," Itachi continued. "It would improve your chances."

Sasuke stiffened. Three conscious occupants would mean that they could take fewer pods; he would have to choose four from six.

He looked over to where Haru was busy doing five things at once. "No," he replied.

* * *

Haru was reprogramming the minigates using a wireless link, analysing the bombs and trying to survey the system through the electromagnetic soup produced by the enemy ships.

Itachi-san had made sure that they were familiar with this kind of scenario. Victory was Papa surviving and rejoining the rest of Uchiha. Anyone else making it through alive was a bonus.

He hoped that Papa agreed to Haku-san's suggestion. Misdirection was one way of getting an enemy to commit its resources inappropriately. Papa finished speaking to Itachi-san and reactivated the intercom. Haru listened to him redistributing personnel. He was going with Haku-san's idea, which was good.

Dan-san left for the control room.

The programme analysing the bombs began yielding results. He could distinguish four different types. He pulled up the equivalent of a battleboard, focused it on the volume of space around the hole and began mapping the bombs.

"This is Haru," he said into the intercom. "I have more data on the bombs. We could try to clear them. If we succeeded, which is unlikely, we could jump back through the hole. If not, we could create enough chaos that we could launch ships without them being tracked. It is also possible that we would tempt them to send ships into range of our guns. Could we shoot four bombs to obtain more data?"

"_This is Itachi. Haru, are there four types of bomb?"_

"Haru here. I think so."

"_Itachi here. Identify a volume of space at a safe distance that contains all four types of bomb. It will look like we are trying to clear a path rather than obtain data about the bomb types."_

Haru flushed; he should have thought of that. He began looking for a suitable target.

"This is Sasuke. What about towards the nearest large asteroid? The enemy may believe that small craft would head there for cover. Are all the bomb-types available along that path?"

He checked. "Haru here. Yes, we would detonate bombs of each type."

"_This is Naruto. What if that triggers them into detonating all the bombs? We need to be ready."_

Haru understood 'ready'. 'Ready' was getting Papa into the Blossom.

Then the door slid open and Itachi-san entered with Haku-san. Only it didn't look like Itachi-san. His hair was cut like Papa's and had been darkened. Haku-san must have applied make-up to his face and hands, although Haru could not see it. Itachi-san's skin was paler, his eyes had changed shape and his lips were different. He did not look like Papa but Haru could see that he might to a stranger.

Even Itachi-san's purple nail lacquer had gone.

Haku-san stopped before Papa and put out his hand. On the palm were two rings.

* * *

Sasuke found himself blinking back tears. Itachi had cut his hair; given up the symbol of his defiance.

Haku was showing him two rings.

"These are the closest to yours, Sasuke-sama, but Ita-san will not wear the one from his lockbox without your permission."

It was the ring traditionally worn by the heir; Sasuke had not known that Itachi still had it.

"Yes, you must wear it," Sasuke agreed. "Thank you Itachi-san, Haku-san. Please give my thanks to Kisame-san also."

Haku sniffed. "It is time for you to hand command to Ita-san, Sasuke-sama. Naruto-san has engaged the Blossom to the Sakura and is loading the children's pods."

Sasuke took a deep breath and activated the intercom. "This is Sasuke. We are going to try to remove the bombs and jump back through the hole. If this fails, it is likely that we will be abandoning ship. May the Lady be with each and every one of you. Stay alive and safe. We know our crewmates will come for us. Command: I am transferring command to Itachi. Repeat. I am transferring command to Itachi."

He stood up and Itachi sat in his place while Haku took the chair Dan had vacated. Itachi turned towards Akemi. "Akemi-san, please arrange a private channel between Sasuke-sama, Naruto-san and the big litter." He then activated the intercom. "This is Itachi assuming command. Once everyone is in position we will share and begin implementing our plan of action."

Sasuke understood Itachi's message. He grabbed his pack and headed for the door. As he left he made eye contact with Haru, who gave him a Shikamaru look, a nod and a smile that was pure Haru. Then he was running towards docking bay 3.

A bleep from his suit radio announced an incoming message. _"This is Akemi. Channel 4 is available as directed."_

"_This is Naruto. Your Papa is probably concentrating on running at the moment. We know that you will all want to do your best but remember that we need each other, so don't take any silly risks. There are two standard ecology planets. If it comes to it, you could go there."_

"_This is Haru. The outer one looks better. It has more water."_

Sasuke descended a flight of stairs in two jumps. "This is Sasuke. That's agreed then. Anyone who doesn't make it through the hole goes to the outer of the two standard ecology planets. Don't forget to set a beacon."

"_This is Yoshimi. We won't, Papa."_

He listened to each of the others making contributions as he ran: his children, whom he was planning on leaving behind; his children, who may or may not be safer without him.

He rounded the corner to the docking bay. Naruto was waiting for him in the airlock. He skidded to a halt as he crossed the threshold. Naruto slammed the inner door and they exchanged a quick kiss before closing their helmets and starting the pumps.

"_This is Naruto. Your Papa and I are in the airlock. We'll be boarding the Sakura soon._ _There won't be time for any more private words. We love you."_

Sasuke held Naruto's gaze. _"This is Sasuke. Your To-chan and I are so very, very proud of you."_

Then Naruto had the outer door open and they were running towards the Sakura.

* * *

Haru was glad that Papa, To-chan and the triplets were on the Sakura. Now they could concentrate on developing the plan.

"This is Itachi. Plan one is to work out a way of detonating the bombs and do so in a pattern that the Oak can withstand. Once all the bombs are detonated, we will re-establish the jump field and go through the hole. To do this we need more information about the bombs. Kazuki, Yoshimi and Keizo will be shooting the bombs along a single path, following the pattern that Haru will supply. Command: gunners prepare to shoot on my order to do so. Command: Haru provide the gunners with their firing patterns."

Haru acknowledged the order and transmitted the firing patterns to Ka-chan, Yo-chan and Kei-chan, who confirmed receipt.

"This is Itachi. We do not know how the enemy will respond. It is possible that they will detonate all the bombs. Command: seal suits and switch to suit radios."

Haru pulled on his gloves and sealed his helmet, as did Itachi-san, Haku-san and Akemi.

"_This is Itachi. Command: on my mark begin firing. Mark!"_

Haru watched eleven of the bombs explode exactly according to plan; Ka-chan, Yo-chan and Kei-chan did not miss a single shot. Data poured into the sensors. Haru began analysing each of the four types. As well as field-disrupters, there were fragmentation and cluster bombs. He suspected that the fourth type was mobile; on activation it would move towards the nearest ship, attach and explode.

There was no subsequent wave of detonations. The only change was that some of the small craft moved to cover the gap they had created.

"_Akemi here. Incoming message."_

Haru swallowed. Here they came; the enemy's demands.

"_This is Itachi. Audio over all suit radios. Visual here and in the control room."_

One of the projections off to the side changed to show an image of Orochimaru. The man was sitting in a chair with an expression of smug satisfaction.

"_Greetings, Sasuke Uchiha. I strongly recommend that you desist from shooting the bombs. Allow me to acquaint you with your situation. If I activate all the bombs you will be utterly destroyed. I would then pick over the pieces to ensure that each one of your crew and each one of your children is dead. Such an outcome would be a success."_

The man leaned back smirking, to allow his words to sink in.

"_However, there are other outcomes that I would consider successful. You could accept the hopelessness of your situation and surrender. Your crew would live. Your children would live." _He leaned forward. _"The only requirement is your death. Surely that is a small price to pay?"_

* * *

_._


	22. Hiding

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

**And mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each chapter.**

It is readers' reviews that encourage me to continue writing this story. Whenever I am stuck or dissatisfied with what I am producing (which is most of the time at the moment) it is the reviews that make the difference. Hits are nice. Rating a story is welcome. Reviews are like a cold drink on a hot, draining day.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 3: Betrayal**

**22: Hiding**

* * *

"_You could accept the hopelessness of your situation and surrender. Your crew would live. Your children would live. The only requirement is your death. Surely that is a small price to pay?"_

Haru ignored what Orochimaru, or more likely the Orochimaru print, was saying. The man had no honour; he would say anything.

"_This is Itachi. Akemi, establish a private channel between me and Haru."_

"_This is Akemi. Channel 2."_

"_Haru, how close are you to a plan for taking out the bombs?"_

Haru was modelling a variety of possibilities. Given the constraint of keeping the Sakura and the other ships within the docking bays, behind the blast-proof doors, none of them seemed likely to succeed.

"_This is Itachi. Haru, give me access to the model." _Itachi-san demanded.

Haru pulled himself together, tuned his microphone to channel 2 and did as requested. "This is Haru. Have done."

He watched as Itachi-san, like him, dismissed all the projected outcomes as unsatisfactory. Then Itachi-san did to the model what Haru had not. Once the initial blast was over, he launched the Sakura, the Snow Willow and the Spear to help with clearing the bombs.

It still was not enough.

Next he jettisoned whole levels of the Oak to reduce their mass so improving their acceleration. Finally he changed In-san's system into attack mode.

To Haru's surprise it helped; they could withstand more impacts.

Itachi-san's changes made the difference between no chance and some chance. The estimated probability of success was 14%.

"_Well done, Haru-kun." _Itachi assured him. _"No one else could have put together such an accurate model in such a short time."_

Then there was a change in tone as he went back to the general channel.

"_This is Itachi. Command: Kazuki, change to turret three. Command: Kuuya, go to the Snow Willow and get ready to launch. You will be handling her as a single-seated fighter. Command: Hoshi relieve Dan. Command: Dan relieve Kisame. Command: Kisame get the Spear ready to launch."_

Haru knew why Itachi-san had chosen Kuuya. Like Yuki and Kazuki, Kuuya hadn't displayed any berserker tendencies. He would not have to decide between losing control and being knocked unconscious by a controller.

"_The plan is as follows. We will launch missiles to explode the bombs at a distance while the Oak's guns will pick off the most dangerous bombs that are close by. Then we will move towards the hole, jettisoning mass and using the ships to take out more of the bombs. If we reach the hole intact and have re-established the field, the ships will dock and we will jump. If not, we will use the chaos we have created to cover our escape as we abandon ship."_

Haru thought that was a pretty good summary. He concentrated on preparing the targeting data for each of the gunners.

Itachi-san added Haru's bomb-map and the current estimated probability to the projected display.

"_This is Akemi. The channel from the enemy is still open."_

As if they could forget; Orochimaru's image still hung there at the side, pretending to watch them even though he could see nothing.

"_This is Itachi. Command: open an audio-only, unencrypted but filtered channel on the enemy's frequency."_

Akemi gestured that it was ready. Haru knew that Itachi-san would only connect his microphone for the duration of the message; they did not want the enemy gleaning information from the background noise.

"_This is Sasuke Uchiha. If I came to you in a one-man craft, would you stop disrupting the field and allow my ship to jump back through the gate?"_

Orochimaru smiled. "Of course."

Haru sneered; as if they would trust a sadistic rapist who bombed innocents and did not see hybrids as people. He only half-listened to Itachi-san's questions and Orochimaru's answers. It wasn't as if the negotiation was real; Itachi-san was filling time until Kuuya and Kisame-san were in position; Kazuki was already in turret three.

Finally they were ready. There was a lurch as Itachi-san jettisoned the levels below the drives. Then Dan-san launched the first wave of missiles and the gunners began shooting.

Bombs vanished from the bomb-map; the Oak shuddered each time fragments from them impacted on the surface.

The estimated probability of success crept up to 16%.

An explosion on the surface; at first Haru thought it was a limpet bomb but it was only one of the bomblets from a cluster bomb. He projected a replica of Hoshi's console in the control room, so that Itachi-san could monitor the damage.

It was more than Haru had anticipated; if a bomblet did that, what would a limpet do?

Another three of the small explosions and they found out. The ship screamed as metal buckled and tore.

They pitched and yawed before the stabilisers compensated. Hoshi's console lit up with amber and red warning lights.

The hull had been breached. Haru checked. It was well away from people or crucial systems. There were thuds as internal doors closed and sealed.

The estimated probability of success had fallen to 9%. As Haru watched, the nine changed to an eight.

"_This is Itachi. Gunners, prioritise the limpet bombs. They are shown as green on your display. Command: Hoshi, crack open the doors for docking bays 3 and 5. Command: Blossom, Cherry and Snow Willow launch as soon as feasible. Command: Sakura and Spear standby."_

Haru imagined what would happen if one of the bomblets or, worse, a limpet, got into a docking bay. His calculator agreed; the probability fell abruptly to 4%.

But it was working. The green-labelled limpet bombs were vanishing one by one from his display. They were accelerating towards the hole. The four became a five, a six and then a seven.

The Snow Willow gave the covering fire needed to get the Spear launched. Launching the Sakura was abandoned; the risk wasn't worth the small increase in firepower.

Haru breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the docking bay doors closed and the probability of success jumped to 26%.

As the gunners could pay more attention to the field-disrupters, the number rose: twenty-seven; twenty-eight; twenty-nine; thirty-one; thirty-four.

"_This is Hoshi. All fifty-six of the small craft are accelerating in our direction."_

Even though it was not his job to do so, Haru felt guilty for not noticing.

"_This is Itachi. Haru, can you factor them in?"_

Haru was momentarily flummoxed; how could he factor them in when he hadn't any idea what they could do? He pulled himself together. They were worryingly fast; he knew that much. He decided to assume that they had guns like the ones in their small, mobile fighters and began modifying the model.

"_This is Hoshi. Launch a missile at them and see how they deal with it. Shoot a couple once they are within range, like with the bombs."_

They were good ideas; Haru was pleased when Itachi-san acted on them. While waiting for the outcomes, he added in the fifty-six craft, their vectors, their acceleration and some basic assumptions about their guns.

"This is Haru, I have a first approximation."

"_This is Itachi. Run it."_

Haru did so and watched the probability fall from 47% to 6%. He watched as Itachi-san experimented with ways of keeping the enemy fighters at bay, up to and including leaving all the other ships behind fighting a rearguard action.

The number rose to eighteen but would go no higher.

Then Kuuya risked taking the Snow Willow into range and shot the front runner.

Haru watched the data flow in. The fighter had exploded. It was not the typical profile of a ship exploding, even with a direct hit to the drive.

The fighter doubled as a bomb; there were fifty-five suicide bombers on their way towards the Oak.

He felt numb as he inputted the data. Kuuya was reporting to Itachi-san.

"_I know, Haru-kun," _Itachi-san said quietly over channel 2. _"Run it anyway."_

He did and the four of them watched the probability plummet to below 1%.

Itachi-san did not hesitate for a moment.

"_This is Itachi. The Oak will not be jumping through the hole. Prepare to abandon ship. Command: Rin, destroy the tissue bank. Command: Akemi, destroy the data crystal array and other designated data banks. Command: gunners set your guns to automatic. All controls should be transferred to the control room on my mark."_

He watched as Itachi-san unstrapped himself and stood up. Haku-san moved as if to follow, but Itachi-san gestured him to stay.

Haru wondered if they were speaking over a private channel. Then Haku-san settled back into his chair and Itachi-san had gone, jogging towards the control room.

"_This is Itachi. Haru, are the minigates reprogrammed?"_

"This is Haru. Yes. They should find the hole provided they are released within the threshold. The automated engagement is on a delay."

They were well within the threshold. All they needed to do was to toss them out airlocks, or even from the docking bays.

Whether one of them would make it undamaged to the hole was another matter.

"_This is Itachi. Command: any ship already launched stays out. This is the evacuation plan. Dan, Haku, Ran, Kazuki and Haru, you are on the Lancet from docking bay 1. Rin, Akemi, Hoshi, Yuki, Yoshimi, Yasushi and Keizo, you are with Gai on the Sakura from docking bay 3. Kisame, you will be my ride when the time comes. Haru, take one minigate onto the Lancet and deploy within the threshold but well away from the Oak. Akemi, likewise onto the Sakura. Dan, toss the third one out of docking bay 1. Any queries?"_

Haru could not think of any. He felt numb. All his energy had been focused on jumping away and now, only a few minutes later, they were abandoning ship.

"_This is Itachi. Command: all guns to automatic and gunners evacuate. Command: Haku, Ran and Rin evacuate. I am in the control room. Command: Hoshi evacuate. Command: transfer controls and evacuate on my mark. Mark!"_

"_This is Akemi. Communications controls transferred."_

Haru took a deep breath. "This is Haru. Data management controls transferred."

He listened to Dan transferring weapons control as he unstrapped, stood up and went to the lockers. He slung his satchel across his body and a survival pack onto his back.

Akemi saluted him and then was out of the door and gone, running for docking bay 3. As the door opened, Haru saw Haku-san in the corridor, waiting for him.

Haku-san put his hand out, stopping the door closing.

They ran at a steady pace to docking bay 1. As they arrived, Dan was launching one of the minigates over the edge and Kazuki was manhandling the other into the larger of the Lancet's two airlocks.

Haru guessed that Ran was already aboard.

Dan held up three fingers, indicating that they would be using channel three for internal communications and gestured them aboard. Haru chinned his microphone to the correct setting and ran up the gangplank. Both doors of the airlock were open; the ship, like the docking bay, was unpressurised.

The Lancet had three decks above the drive. The one they were entering was airlocks and storage. Above that was the crew room and at the top was the control room. Haru started up the ladder behind Haku. He was halfway up the first deck when the rungs shook with the force of the outer door of the large airlock closing.

"_This is Dan. Ran, take communications and get us connected to the Oak. Kazuki, you are gunner. Haru, connect up whatever you brought with you and get us as good an idea of what is going on as you can. Haku, get us ready for launch and then take second seat."_

Haku stepped off the ladder into the crew room. _"Pack,"_ he mouthed as Haru climbed past him. Haru wriggled out of his backpack and continued upwards. Behind him, Dan was closing the airlock and Kazuki was already on the ladder.

Ran had a smile for him as he entered the control room. Haru tried to smile back but could tell from Ran's eyes that it wasn't convincing.

His console was already activated. He undid his satchel and lifted out the leather case that contained his data crystal array. Within a minute he had it secured and connected to the console.

He refastened his satchel and went to take it down to the crew room, only for Kazuki to gesture for him to pass it to him.

The satchel was passed from Kazuki to Dan-san to Haku-san.

"_This is Itachi. Lancet, Sakura, are you ready for a data transfer?"_

"_This is Ran at communications on the Lancet. We are ready."_

"_This is Akemi on the Sakura. Ready."_

Haru watched the data flow in and began generating the battleboard and the bomb-map. The Lancet only had a fraction of the sensors on the Oak; it would be difficult to maintain an accurate picture of the situation once the connection was lost.

Kazuki, Dan-san and Haku-san took their places.

He studied the battleboard. The Snow Willow, the Spear, the Cherry and the Blossom were trying to keep the enemy fighters away from the Oak. Haru's gut twisted. By now the Blossom should have disengaged and be hiding; keeping Papa safe until there was a chance of rescue or, maybe, of slipping through the hole with an enemy ship.

"_This is Dan in command of the Lancet. We are ready to undock."_

"_This is Itachi. Docking bay 1 doors opening."_

"_This is Dan on channel 3. The jettisoned levels of the Oak have been broken up and scattered by bombs. We are going to hide among the wreckage and move away before the enemy fighters eyeball us. Everyone plug in so that we can avoid using radio signals for communication. Kazuki, only shoot when there is no option. Haru, keep the map as accurate as possible._

As the doors opened, Haru realised that the debris was as much of a hazard as the bombs and the enemy fighters. There were pieces of all sizes; some were five times as big as the Sakura while others were little more than shrapnel.

The data from the Oak included sensor data. He hurried to map the debris, calling up programmes from his array to predict their movement. Keeping the map accurate with only the data from the Lancet's sensors would be a challenge.

"This is Haru. Request permission to focus all sensors on immediate surroundings."

"_This is Dan. Do what you think best, Haru."_

He would use the information from the Oak to predict the movement of the bombs and the debris. Once an object was close to the Lancet, its position and velocity would be corrected by the data from the Lancet's sensors.

"_This is Haru. The close by map should be real-time accurate but the map further away is a prediction. That means there will be discontinuities when objects cross the boundary between the two."_ Haru hesitated but decided he should make the suggestion. Dan-san wasn't Itachi-san; he didn't know them nearly as well. "_Dan-san, maybe Kazuki should pilot the ship."_ The kits had competed to be the best pilot every since they had got the simulators. Ka-chan was always the winner; Tayuya-san had once commented that he could make a freighter pirouette.

"_This is Dan. Kazuki, you are pilot. Transferring controls."_

"_This is Kazuki. Accepting piloting controls."_

Haru could hear the growl in his voice; trust Ka-chan to be excited rather than scared.

After that there was no time or energy left for anything other than constantly updating the map so that Ka-chan had the best possible chance of getting them clear.

Haru was aware that the rest of the Oak was breaking up. The map showed that he had lost track of the Snow Willow, the Blossom and the Cherry.

A change in the enemy's tactics attracted his attention. He spared a split second and realised that the Sakura had been hit and crippled.

He had no capacity to consider meaning; no space for emotions. Ka-chan was managing the impossible because he trusted in the accuracy of the map Haru was providing.

Finally they were clear, drifting on the opposite side of the hole; masquerading as a piece of wreckage.

Maybe, just maybe, some of the others were too.

"_This is Dan. Ran and Haku are going to push the minigate out of the airlock. Kazuki, continue to keep all manoeuvring to a minimum; they will be looking for us."_

Haru wondered if they could avoid collisions by pretending to collide; if their change in velocity was consistent with a collision then they might escape the enemy's attention. He waited for a suitable gap and sent an example to Kazuki.

Ka-chan spared a split moment to turn his head and grin his approval.

If they could avoid collisions using the technique, perhaps they could do more. In the end they would have to risk moving away or the enemy would eyeball them.

And it was another problem to solve; another reason to delay thinking about what had just happened.

"_This is Haru. Dan-san, we may be able to travel using pseudo collisions to explain changes in velocity. Shall I model some possibilities?"_

"This is Dan. Do that. Send them through to me when you have some suggestions. Once the minigate is out there we will pressurise the control room so that we can open our helmets. I expect Kazuki has exhausted the food supply in his suit."

Haru concentrated on developing his model of pseudo collisions; the trick was to combine a perfect hit from the guns with a precise change in velocity. The hit made the other object change direction, as if the collision had been real.

Once he had refined the model he went looking for places they could hide and possible routes to get them there.

"_Haru_," Ran called quietly over the link.

He looked up from his console reluctantly. Ran was crouched in front of him; his helmet pushed back and his gloves dangling from his wrists.

Haru was fine about taking off his gloves; it would make the interfaces easier to use. He was less sure about the helmet. While his helmet was closed he could pretend it was all a sim.

"_Haru, let me hear your voice properly. Please,"_ Ran asked.

He took off his gloves and then, slowly, he opened his helmet. "Ran," he murmured.

"Haru," Ran whispered.

"I mustn't lose track of what's happening," he said, silently begging Ran not to push. If Ran pushed the weird walls inside him might break and then he would be thinking about Papa and Yo-chan and Ya-chan and Kuu-chan and Kei-chan and Hoshi and Yu-chan and To-chan.

He couldn't afford to do that.

Then Haku-san was there. He attached a bottle with a long, flexible straw to the arm of Haru's chair. "This isn't very exciting but it will keep your energy levels up."

"Thank you, Haku-san," Haru replied, because Haku-san always insisted on good manners.

"You are welcome, Haru-kun. Ran-kun, now that everyone has food it is time for us all to concentrate on getting us somewhere safer where we can rest."

Haru realised that Haku-san understood. Maybe Haku-san had often gone on when, inside, he wanted to curl up in a corner and pretend that nothing had happened.

Dan-san had decided that they should make a move before the enemy got around to searching for them. Haru displayed his favoured route; a ten day journey to the outer of the two standard-ecology planets following a path that could be explained by collisions and gravity.

He watched Dan-san's face as he examined it. He was sure Dan-san was going to say it was too ambitious and that they should head for somewhere closer.

"We agreed with Papa that we would all try to get to that planet," Ka-chan explained, which was good because Haru didn't know if he could say 'Papa' at the moment.

Dan-san smiled. "That planet it is then. Let's get a timeline set out. We need to include all the false collisions and potential collisions so we can be properly prepared. Haru-kun, make sure the sensors are focused on spotting enemy ships before they see us."

That gave Haru lots to do. He sorted the timeline and sent it to Dan-san and Kazuki. Then he started on an automated alert system for spotting enemy ships.

He was on version three when he began to drift away and then back. He felt a hand on his arm.

"Bedtime, Haru-chan," Haku-san ordered.

Haru realised that Haku-san was out of his suit; they must have pressurised the crew room.

"Now," Haku-san emphasised.

Ran must have set up the bunks because his was in a corner with Kazuki's above and Ran's adjacent.

"Suit off and go use the head," Haku-san instructed. "A shower can wait until you have slept."

When he came out of the head he found some pyjamas laid out for him. Haku-san found things to do around the crew room while he changed and then was back, folding back the bedcovers.

Haru looked at his discarded clothes.

"I'll see to that," Haku-san told him. "In you get."

Haku-san slipped the spare pillow under the covers for him to hug and tucked him in.

"Your Papa is very proud of you," Haku-san told him, "and he will be even prouder when he hears what a wonderful job you have done today. You gave everyone their best possible chance. Without you none of us would have got away."

Haru remembered that Haku-san very rarely praised him and never when he did not deserve it.

Perhaps he had not failed. Maybe he had done the best that the circumstances allowed.

"Do you think some of the others got away too?" Haru whispered.

"I am sure of it," Haku-san replied with absolute conviction. "Now go to sleep."

And he did.

* * *

.


	23. Watching

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each chapter.

Hits are nice. Rating a story is welcome. Reviews are like a cold drink on a hot, draining day.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 3: Betrayal**

**23: Watching**

* * *

It had been difficult to give command over to Itachi, hard to walk away from Haru, heartbreaking to listen to the Oak getting close to jumping only to fail and agony watching the Oak break apart.

But all those were nothing compared to seeing the Sakura crippled and defenceless while enemy fighters swarmed about her.

There was nothing they could do. If even one of the enemy ships exploded it would trigger the others; no one could survive that.

This way Keizo, Yasushi, Yoshimi, Yuki, Hoshi and the others were still alive.

He wished he could hold Naruto. They were trapped in the Blossom's tiny cabin, so close and yet separated by suits and vacuum; only able to hear each other's voice through a microphone and speaker.

"We wait," Naruto growled. "Orochimaru is not here. It is an Orochimaru print. They will transfer the prisoners to T1 and jump back through the hole. We can watch and follow. We will rescue them."

Sasuke looked across; through the visor of Naruto's helmet he could see tears streaming down his cheeks. "Yes," he agreed. He did not say that Orochimaru only wanted the kits. He did not point out that they could not take too many chances because they were carrying the younger children. "I am going to risk contacting the Cherry and the Spear," he added. "I'll code the signal and hide it within the background radiation."

Naruto nodded, never taking his eyes from the scopes. "Not the Lancet or the Snow Willow," he checked. "They must concentrate on hiding and getting away."

"Not the Lancet or the Snow Willow," Sasuke assured him. He imagined Kuuya alone on the Snow Willow. At least Haru and Kazuki had Dan, Haku and Ran.

Getting the coder and decoder operational gave him something to do; it was always a challenge getting through Shika's security checks. Once he managed it, Sasuke discovered that he was not the first to decide to make contact. There was a message waiting for them.

He played it through both their suit speakers simultaneously. _"This is Akemi on the Sakura. We are waiting for the enemy to make contact. It is likely we will be boarded. We have a plan. We are going to put bugs around the ship and feed their output into the coder, which we've set on clandestine transmission."_

"They have bugs?" Naruto queried.

Sasuke recalled looking through the big litter's personal basics. There had been all manner of small electronic devices, some of which could have been bugs. "A combination of Haru's ingenuity and Itachi's influence," he explained. "They aren't allowed to use anything during a simulated mission that they don't have in their emergency packs."

"I can hear Hoshi in the background," Naruto told him, his tone wistful. "Do you think it was her idea?"

"Probably," Sasuke answered, astonished Naruto could discriminate that from the output of his suit speaker. "I am going to pressurise the cabin," he decided.

"You sure?" Naruto asked. "Can we spare the oxygen?"

"I am sure," Sasuke confirmed. "The Blossom might not have much, but it does have air scrubbers."

"The cabins speakers are better," Naruto admitted. "I'll be able to hear more."

Shika had systematically re-specified Uchiha equipment to cater for hybrids; all audio devices worked for frequencies beyond a purebred human's range.

It took a remarkably brief time for the pumps to pressurise the cabin. They opened their helmets and stripped off their gloves.

It was good to touch, even if it was only holding hands for a few seconds.

"Could we risk one message to the Sakura?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke considered. It should be safe; Akemi had said that he had the communication system set up for clandestine operation. Incoming messages would be stored in the decoder until released by someone who could jump through all Shika's security hoops. "Yes."

He went first. "This is Sasuke. We have your message and will be listening in. We are here for you." He nodded to Naruto.

"This is Naruto. It will be good to see you and hear your voices. Take care and stay safe."

Once all messages had been sent, they began settling in for the long haul.

Naruto had tucked the Blossom away within a piece of wreckage and Sasuke had deactivated all but essential systems. They had reasonable sight lines for the scopes.

They decided not to move. It was too risky, particularly as their battleboard was next to useless without any active data gathering.

Despite the cabin being pressurised, they would have to live in their suits. The Blossom was too small for bunks, or a head, or artificial gravity.

Sasuke was not looking forward to days of taking pills to settle his stomach.

Even monitoring the bugs would be a challenge; they only had three display screens and two speakers.

Sasuke connected the output of the decoder to a speaker and one of the display screens before spelling Naruto on the scopes. He spared sideways glances as Naruto sorted himself; removing the clothes he had been wearing beneath his suit and adding the attachments that dealt with urine and faeces. Sasuke marvelled as he twisted and turned in the limited space; easily coping with there being no up and no down.

There was a crackle of static as the speaker attached to the decoder was activated. Sasuke braced himself to hear the Sakura.

"_This is Fu. We have disengaged because fighting will endanger the Sakura. Awaiting a change in the situation or further orders."_

It was good to hear that Hamaki, Terai and Fu were alive.

There was still nothing from the Spear.

"Maybe we should connect the scopes to one of the displays," Naruto suggested as he refastened his suit and checked their supplies. "We could run the vid through Shi-chan's programme that detects changes in patterns of movement."

Sasuke was surprised; Naruto trusted his senses far more than any programme.

"It could be days," Naruto reminded him. "The programme has an alarm function." He twisted so his face ended up less than a hand's breadth from Sasuke's.

"Good idea," Sasuke acknowledged and looked away from the scopes long enough to claim a kiss. It felt good; a reminder of what they shared in contrast to the destruction and dread.

Naruto twisted again and settled back into his chair without the slightest rebound. He then reclaimed the scopes while Sasuke set up Shika's programme.

That done, Sasuke started the tricky procedure that Naruto had performed so effortlessly. Unlike Naruto, he had to manage it while strapped loosely to his chair; he would be a hazard if he allowed himself to float freely.

For once Naruto did not tease him as he wriggled and flopped or make some remark that gave him an erection while he was fitting the urine collector.

Sasuke half wished he had. The omission was a painful reminder of their situation.

Five of their children were about to fall into the hands of a monster.

Finally Sasuke sealed his suit, tightened the straps that held him to his chair and checked the decoder. To his surprise there was a message. He wondered why it had not triggered the speaker but then he realised it was in long-short.

He decoded the first line in his head. "Message from Dan on the Lancet," he announced. He transcribed the rest and heard himself utter a sigh of relief.

"Teme!" Naruto demanded.

"They are already away from the battlefield. He isn't using audio because he wants Haru and Kazuki to stay focused on escaping."

Naruto's whiskers relaxed a tiny amount. "Good."

The speaker crackled again. This time the display activated, showing four locations on the Sakura in quick succession; the control room, the captain's office, the crew room and the inner side of the smaller airlock.

Hoshi was in the control room and Sasuke spotted Yuki and Yoshimi in the crew room. They watched the display flick from location to location while the noise levels fluctuated.

"It would work better if we could watch all four locations at once," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke agreed. A few minutes' work had the locations split across the two available screens. Another ten had the audio connected to four channels of their suit radios.

At first all Sasuke wanted to do was watch his children and switch between channels to listen to for their voices. Then he realised that whoever had hidden the camera bug in the control room had positioned it to show the Sakura's battleboard.

He studied it. None of the smaller Uchiha ships were showing, which was good. The tiny enemy fighters were now clustered around the Sakura and the wreckage of the Oak. The enemy ships T1 and T3 had not moved but T2 had entered the battlefield and was closing.

He was about to bring the development to Naruto's attention only for Naruto to point it out first.

An indicator on the console flashed; a broadcast communication from the enemy. Sasuke gave over half of one display screen and the main speaker.

Orochimaru's image appeared.

"_I have your ship, the Sakura, at my mercy. One word and she will be gone along with everyone aboard her. Is that you, Sasuke Uchiha? Or is it one or more of your children? You have ten seconds to answer me. Ten, nine."_

Commonsense told him Orochimaru would not do it; he wanted the kits. Even so, it was hard to stay silent. Naruto was watching him, his expression forbidding him to answer.

"_Seven, six."_

Another indicator flashed; an audio-only signal on the Uchiha broadcast frequency.

"_Five, four."_

Sasuke put it through to the other speaker.

"_This is Sasuke Uchiha."_

It was Itachi.

Orochimaru smiled. _"Are you on the Sakura?"_

"_No," _Itachi admitted.

"_Do you have the Bara hybrid with you?"_

There was a pause before Itachi answered. _"No. He is with our younger children."_

The tip of Orochimaru's tongue ran across his top lip. _"How intriguing. This is what is going to happen. My people will board the Sakura. There will be no resistance. You will issue the appropriate orders."_

"_You give me your word that those on the Sakura will be unharmed," Itachi checked._

Itachi understood better than any of them that Orochimaru had no honour and therefore his word was meaningless. Sasuke knew he was only negotiating to keep the situation developing; hoping to create opportunities that they could exploit.

Anyway, calling Orochimaru's bluff was pointless: at best he would damage the Sakura until those aboard had no option other than to abandon ship; at worst he would destroy her killing all those aboard.

"_You have my word," _Orochimaru answered. _"The order?"_

"_This is Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura, prepare to be bordered. The enemy had given their word that no one currently on board will be killed, injured or harmed in any way. Do not resist whilst the enemy adheres to __these terms__."_

"_This is Gai, commanding the Sakura. We will cooperate with the boarders provided the enemy adheres to __the terms."_

Orochimaru nodded. _"Gai. One of the few remaining members of the old guard. Until we meet, Captain Gai."_

The half of the screen dedicated to Orochimaru's message went blank. Sasuke assigned the display back to the video from the Sakura.

"Why didn't the Spear answer my message?" he mused.

Naruto's eyes were fixed to the displays, hungry for even fleeting glimpses of the children. "Maybe Itachi isn't on the Spear," he suggested. Blue eyes briefly fixed on him. "Or maybe he doesn't want you relieving him of command."

Sasuke understood; Itachi would not hesitate for a moment to sacrifice himself if it were necessary.

Was that what he had agreed to on the Oak? That Itachi would die in his place?

They watched the video from inside the Sakura as the T2 ship approached. The children had gathered in the crew room and were reorganising the fittings.

Sasuke crowded the output of the other three camera bugs onto one display to give them a better view. Hoshi was too pale and the kits too subdued.

There was an ominous clang; the enemy had connected a docking tube.

Hoshi turned to the others. _"Remember; act as if you were still ten. No one lets on we have ever done anything but play in a nursery."_

Yuki was facing the camera. His eyes were suddenly twice as wide. His posture changed so that he looked small and scared.

Sasuke smiled despite himself; it was a clever idea, although he wondered if Keizo, Yasushi and Yoshimi were too tall to pull it off.

"That's why they are reconfiguring the crew room," Naruto pointed out. "So it will look like the children were in there all the time."

Gai sent Rin to open the airlock. They watched and listened to the feed from the bugs the big litter had hidden there.

Rin unlocked the inner door of the airlock and stepped well back. _"I am Chief Medico Rin,_" she announced as the lead boarder swung open the door and stepped through.

"Cat-human hybrid," Naruto said immediately. "Fuma type. Female."

It was a relief; Sasuke imagined if it had been a bullman and shuddered, remembering what they had done to Itachi.

The boarder opened the visor of her helmet. _"You may call me Neko-six." _The number corresponded to the figure on the upper arms of her suit.

Five other female cat-human hybrids followed her through the lock. The last of them closed the inner door.

Neko-six addressed Rin again. _"I must remind you that the bombs surrounding this ship will be exploded at the first sign of trouble. Please go up to the crew room. Neko-twelve and Neko-eight will accompany you."_

She waited until Rin and the two hybrids had climbed the ladder to the next level before issuing orders.

"_Three and Eleven, up to the top and work down. Send anyone you find to the crew room. No touching anything. Two, check out this level and the engine room __and then get the pods. I shall report in__."_

Nekos Three, Eleven and Two left the camera's field of view.

"_Neko-six reporting, Orochimaru-sama. We are aboard. A female purebred individual has identified herself as Chief Medico Rin. Her appearance concurs with the briefing data. So far there is no sign of resistance."_

Sasuke could not hear Orochimaru's reply; he wondered if Naruto could.

They watched Gai and Akemi leave the control room and reappear in the crew room. Neko-six entered a few minutes later.

She looked from prisoner to prisoner. _"If there is anyone else, you should tell me. The ship will be destroyed once we have left and anyone who remains aboard will die."_

"_This is everyone," _Gai insisted.

"She's receiving orders through an earpiece," Naruto observed.

"_You will all be podded." _She turned to Gai. _"The young man is surplus to requirements,"_ she announced, gesturing towards Akemi. _"If there is any trouble, we will kill him. Next we will kill you and then the girl." _She pointed to Hoshi. _"If you all cooperate, the young man, you and the girl will live."_

Sasuke noted that Orochimaru wanted Rin as well as the kits.

Pods were coming through the airlock, disappearing up the ladder shaft and appearing in the crew room. Sasuke guessed that Nekos Three and Eleven had found the hoist and worked out how to operate it.

They watched in silence as their children, one-by-one, stripped, climbed into the pods and lay down so the lids could be closed.

He put his hand out and Naruto took it. A thumb rubbed gently against his wrist.

Sasuke blinked back tears to see their babies behaving with such dignity.

Neko-eight shook herself as soon as the last lid shut. _"That was easy." _She looked about. _"This is nice stuff, really nice stuff. Are we really going to blow it all up?"_

"_Concentrate on the job,"_ Neko-six ordered. _"Orochimaru-sama will be furious if we mislabel the pods."_ She dug out a pen and wrote 'Uchiha girl - Hoshi' in large characters on the surface Hoshi's pod and 'fox hybrid' on the four containing the kits. Then she carefully added descriptors to distinguish between Yuki, Keizo, Yoshimi and Yasushi. Finally she wrote 'Chief Medico Rin', 'Captain Gai' and 'Akemi - purebred young male' on the remaining three.

Sasuke noticed that the purebreds' pods were named but the kits' were not.

"_I am going to report in," _she said once she was finished. _"You two go help with searching the ship._

"_Neko-six reporting, Orochimaru-sama. All prisoners are podded. We have limited success. None of the primary targets are aboard. We have four of the secondary targets, including the one without whiskers or fangs. We have two of the tertiary targets; the older Uchiha girl as well as Chief Medico Rin. In addition there are Captain Gai and a purebred young male called Akemi."_

There was a pause.

"_We do not have the one with ears and a tail, or the one with reddish fur."_

So she had a description of each kit.

Another pause. _"Yes, Orochimaru-sama, it was definitely a girl. She stripped naked to get into the pod. No, there is no sign of younger children or other occupied pods."_

"The kits are not the primary target," Naruto observed.

"Primary targets," Sasuke pointed out. "It sounds like the primary targets are Uchiha males." He found that strange; Orochimaru had always been far more interested in Naruto than in him.

Neko-six was talking.

"_Very, very high standard of fittings, Orochimaru-sama. Also there are items and devices that we do not recognise. They could be of significance."_ Another pause. _"Yes, three of the fox hybrids were wearing collars. Yes, including the one with no whiskers and no fangs. No, the small one did not have one. Yes, very cute."_

Sasuke felt the hairs on his neck stand up; Naruto was growling.

"_Yes, Orochimaru-sama. At once."_

She then went over to the ladder and made a noise; half howl and half cry. The other five arrived quickly.

"_We're taking the pods and sealing the ship. Some of the minky fighters will tow the ship well away from the battlefield for further investigation."_

So each of the small fighters was probably piloted by a minky. It explained how they could be so small and, sadly, why Orochimaru considered them disposable.

This was, Sasuke understood, the crux of the problem. Orochimaru considered all his people this side of the hole disposable, even the Orochimaru print. Sasuke could never think that way.

Even though he knew that every member of Uchiha would die for him, he still would fight tooth and nail to save them.

* * *

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	24. Waiting

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17 and melissen for continuing to review and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each chapter.

_Hits are nice. Rating a story is welcome. Reviews are like a cold drink on a hot, draining day._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 3: Betrayal**

**24: Waiting**

* * *

Shikamaru checked again, despite having an alarm set to alert him to any incoming message.

Word from the Oak was late.

There could be a multitude of mundane or trivial reasons. Even so, Shikamaru knew there was a problem. It wasn't instinct, or a gut feeling, or foreboding; it was the way his mind worked.

It was pointless discussing his worries to Neji. Neji would list all the probable reasons for the Oak's silence and, in reply, Shikamaru would not be able to explain how he knew that they were irrelevant.

Instead he decided to act. He sent new orders from Chaaruzu-san for Tennyos One, Four and Six.

Tennyo One would arrive at the Oak's last jump point in twenty-two days' time.

He decided to keep himself busy by thinking of tasks and partitioning his mind to think on them. Three parts were assigned to the Tennyos' new missions, checking details. Another began listing all possible reasons why the Oak had not sent a message.

A fifth was considering Karin, the investigative reporter. She had turned her attention from Uchiha's holdings to Izuna Uchiha. Each report she made contained a new titbit of information, which had won her frequent slots in the broadcast schedule.

The sixth concentrated on the preacher. There was something about the new religion that did not fit. He had his best operative on it. Tennyo Three was still living in the apartment with its exits in Levels 4, 5 and 1. Her Arella identity had joined the new religion.

A seventh...

Someone was calling him.

It was Neji and he didn't look happy. He was spending most of each day working with, or rather for, Izuna and Shikamaru knew he disliked it.

"Where's Su-chan?" he asked, his tone ominous.

Shikamaru checked the chronometer. He should have gone to the playroom to fetch Sumiko ages ago; it was almost time for the evening meal. "I got distracted," he admitted.

Neji did not bother to scold him. Instead he turned and left.

Shikamaru ran after him.

Sumiko was still in the simulator, which did not help; Shikamaru knew that there would be another 'discussion' about allowing her to spend too much time in her imaginary world.

Sumiko gave Neji her best smile as she emerged. "Thank you for letting me spend extra time in my sim, Ne-chan."

Shikamaru flinched. It was typical Su-chan; it never occurred to her that by avoiding the blame it was likely to fall on another.

He saw Neji inhale, calming himself. "You are welcome, Su-chan. Now we must be swift so that we are not late for the evening meal."

"Can I see the message from the Oak?" she asked as they walked back to the crew room.

"It hasn't arrived," Shikamaru answered. He knew he should add the word 'yet' but he could not bring himself to do so.

Sumiko frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't know, Su-chan," he replied.

"Maybe the minigate is giving them a few problems," Neji suggested. "Or perhaps one of the light speed data relays has failed. I am sure it is just a communication glitch and they are fine."

Shikamaru could feel Neji's eyes on him, willing him to contribute to the reassurance but he couldn't.

Izuna was at the evening meal, which was unusual; he had barely attended since Sasuke's departure. It caused a half-hearted effort at formality but with neither Iruka nor Haku present it was unimpressive.

Shikamaru half expected Neji to step into the breach but he didn't.

"There is a message from the Silver Leaf, confirming that they haven't been able to make contact with the Oak," Keitaro told them.

That eliminated most of the explanations for the Oak's silence; now there were only the three systems at the end of the route to consider.

"How long before we should start worrying, Shika-san?" Asuma asked.

Shikamaru did not look at Neji. "Now. It takes so long to get there. Better to set off and turn back if it proves to be a false alarm."

Asuma considered. "I shall contact Kakashi this evening. Shika-san, Neji-san, perhaps we could have a brief meeting after the meal."

"Can I be of assistance, Asuma-san?" Izuna asked.

"Not at this time, Izuna-sama, but we are honoured that you should offer," Asuma replied.

Shikamaru watched Izuna's reaction; the slight tightening around his eyes and lips that always followed Asuma refusing to involve him. Perhaps it was not surprising; it was in Izuna's nature to lead.

* * *

.

* * *

Madara managed to control himself until he was back in his apartment. Once there he vented his fury on the training dummy he had requested and Sumaru had provided.

At least he had what he required; confirmation that the trap had been sprung. It was not perfect, one of the targets was not inside, but he could adapt.

Perhaps Hikaru would prove useful.

Once he was calm he reconsidered his plan.

Asuma would not send Shikamaru on the Dart; the man might be irritating but he was not foolish. Madara did not care who else was dispatched. Asuma himself would be excellent, but that was too much to ask.

Neji would be a little inconvenient but the Hyuga would wait; they were good at that.

The negotiations with the Hyuga had gone well. Despite not revealing his identify, he had been able to negotiate the promise of a two-decade contract for Neji's return.

Orochimaru was organising the kidnapping. They had decided the location, the Arts Centre below Sublevel A, and the date; a concert in two days' time.

The plan was based on greed. An operative had approached one of the workers in the ticket office and suggested that people would pay greatly over the odds to be in the same room as Izuna Uchiha.

The worker knew that she was being paid to change the identity to which the ticket had been assigned. She did not know that she was assigning tickets to prints intent on mayhem and kidnap.

Madara allowed himself a short daydream in which Asuma was with him at the concert and was a casualty. Maybe it could be more than a fantasy. Tenten liked music.

More immediate was the need to establish his claim to Uchiha. Now that the trap had been sprung, that part of the plan could move forward. He penned a series of coded instructions and sent a shuttle down the strut to Level 6.

* * *

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* * *

As he woke, Shikamaru's eyes went to his wrist chronometer where it sat on the table by the bed. He had programmed it so that one of the indicators would light up if there was a message from the Oak.

It was unlit.

It had been two days.

He rolled out of bed and headed for the shower.

Asuma had gone with Shikamaru's recommendation. The Dart had been launched that first evening; piloted by Tatsuji with Inryoku and Enerugi accompanying him.

They had heard back from Kakashi the day after. He backed Asuma's decision.

By that time Neji had stopped arguing. Shikamaru guessed he had realised what Kakashi and Asuma were thinking. If Sasuke and all the other children were dead, they had to make sure that Hikaru and Ryuu were safe.

Shikamaru refused to dwell on that possibility. He chose to concentrate on them being alive but trapped and isolated. It could be a problem with the Oak or a problem with the hole. If it was the Oak, the Dart would be able to jump through the hole.

If it was the hole, finding a solution could be tricky.

He and Sasuke had known that it was risky jumping into a system with only one known hole. Shikamaru had hoped that the survey would reveal another.

Perhaps Sasuke was looking for it now or, maybe, he no longer had the means to look.

With that in mind, Shikamaru was attempting something that had never been done before; he was trying to find a hole by telescope. Holes did not come and go. It would not matter that the electromagnetic radiation reaching the telescope had left the system hundreds, thousands or even millions of standards ago. By collecting and analysing it, Shikamaru would look for other holes.

He was commissioning over five thousand astronomers across three hundred and twenty eight systems to focus their telescopes on the system.

Su-chan was already up and dressed by the time he was dressed. She was sitting on the couch in their sitting room.

"Have you got any further with The Plan, Nii-san?" she asked.

Shikamaru had explained to her what he was doing; conversations about that were easier than ones that dwelt on reasons for the Oak's silence.

"I am still collecting together available data about that region of space," he told her.

She looked at him. "I am going to look at another part of space. I've picked one with lots of data. I am going to see if there is a pattern that cor-rel-ates to where the holes are."

Shikamaru blinked. Haru said stuff like that, not Sumiko. "That's good, Su-chan. I've started doing that too. We can both try."

She looked pleased. "Ne-chan!" she called. "Nii-san and I are ready to go to breakfast."

They joined Konohamaru, Moegi and Kamatari at the breakfast table. Shikamaru sipped his coffee and studied Sumiko. Was she really analysing data or was it make-believe? He was about to ask her some questions to find out when Keitaro rushed in.

"That reporter, Karin, is on the morning news," he gabbled. He was casting his eyes around the kitchen, trying to decide who was most senior of those present. He settled on Neji. "Neji-san, may I switch on the projector?"

Neji gestured that he should proceed.

A news presenter's face appeared. _"..agog at Karin-san's revelation. We now turn to Shiho-san, our expert on the spacer code. Shiho-san, what does this mean?"_

A blond woman straightened her eyeglasses. _"Spacer clans consider anyone who has been lost for a decade to be dead. The person is declared dead, their heirs inherit and the clan moves on. According to Karin-san, Izuna Uchiha was never declared dead."_

Shikamaru cringed; at least he had told Kakashi.

"_Does that mean that he is the owner of the Uchiha compound, Shiho-san?"_

"_No, because the Uchiha compound is owned by the clan as a whole. It could be argued, however, that he is still Uchiha-sama, which means that the decision whether to sell the compound would rest with him."_

"_Where does that leave Sasuke Uchiha, Shiho-san?"_

"_They do say possession is all. Sasuke Uchiha is the current Uchiha-sama."_

The presenter smiled. _"Two Uchiha-samas. How exciting. How do you see the situation resolving, Shiho-san?"_

The blond 'expert' laughed. _"Well, traditionally, leadership disputes are resolved by combat. And we do know that Sasuke Uchiha has resolved disputes traditionally in the past."_

There was a clip of Sasuke cutting Deidara's throat. Shikamaru was shocked; even though they cut away before the blood spurted, such images were never shown on the media in the morning. He glanced across the Neji, who was frowning.

"This is bad," Konohamaru stated. "Especially as Sasuke is not available to comment."

Neji was looking at him. "Tell us Karin is wrong, Shika."

Shikamaru took a deep breath. "She isn't. Izuna Uchiha was never declared dead."

They sent Sumiko off to the playroom to be with Biwako-san and despatched Keitaro to tell Asuma. Asuma responded by summoning Neji, Konohamaru and Shikamaru to a meeting.

For once he was absolutely serious with no trace of his usual humour.

"Kakashi knows," he checked.

Shikamaru nodded.

"We can't wait to consult with Kakashi-san," Neji pointed out. "We have to release a statement today or tomorrow at the latest."

"Perhaps Izuna-sama should make a statement," Konohamaru suggested.

"Only if it is 'I have absolutely no interest in being Uchiha-sama,'" Asuma growled. "Neji, don't you and Izuna-sama have a meeting this morning about his upcoming appointments?"

Neji nodded.

"Take Shikamaru with you. Make sure Izuna-sama knows what is happening and sound him out about his position."

Shikamaru had been avoiding Izuna. "But..."

Asuma cut him off. "No buts, Shika-san. I want you to do the talking so that Neji can concentrate on watching his reactions. Shake him up a bit. You are good at that."

"Kono..."

"No. Konohamaru will be making calls. It might be a good day to visit your grandfather, Kono-kun."

Konohamaru nodded. "He's probably already expecting me to contact him."

Neji's meeting with Izuna was early; Shikamaru found himself following Neji towards Izuna's apartment before he had wrapped his head about what he would say.

Izuna kept Neji waiting in the corridor; something that Sasuke would never do. Finally the door was unlocked remotely, admitting them to the apartment's hallway.

At least there was somewhere to sit; Shikamaru took advantage of it while Neji chose to stand.

"Neji-san," Izuna acknowledged curtly when he opened the door to his office. Then he smiled warmly. "Shikamaru-san, what a pleasant surprise."

Shikamaru's stomach flip-flopped and he felt himself flushing; by the Lady, why did he have to have a crush on someone he didn't even like? "Izuna-sama," he murmured.

"I see you have been following his morning's developments, Izuna-sama," Neji observed, gesturing towards the projection over Izuna's desk.

Shikamaru sighed; so much for letting him do the talking.

Izuna frowned. "Yes, very unexpected. Were my sons so remiss or is Reporter Karin mistaken?"

"It's true," Shikamaru told him bluntly.

"When Sasuke-sama returns we will discuss it," Izuna replied. "Is there any news of the Oak?"

Shikamaru felt himself relax a little, which was strange. "No. Uchiha will have to release a statement, Izuna-sama."

Izuna looked thoughtful. "What about something along the lines of 'Uchiha is looking into Reporter Karin's suggestion'?"

It was suitably neutral. "It might do as a holding statement," Shikamaru agreed. "You have a number of upcoming engagements, Izuna-sama. Have you thought what you will say when you are asked about it?"

Izuna's smile was a little less convincing. "Not yet. I shall think on it. Will you be accompanying us to the concert this evening, Shikamaru-san?"

The concert was to be held in Klenn's Arts Centre; Izuna was guest of honour. "No, Izuna-sama. If you recall, Sasuke-sama forbade me from leaving the compound."

"That is a shame." He turned to Neji. "Perhaps Asuma-san would reconsider his decision not to attend. I believe that Tenten-san would enjoy the music."

Shikamaru resolved to speak to Asuma; given this morning's developments, it would be best to demonstrate a united front.

"I shall speak with him on the matter, Izuna-sama," Neji replied. "Should we move on to discuss today and tomorrow's engagements?"

Izuna's attention was already back on Shikamaru. "Later. I would like to know more about what you are doing to find out what has happened to the Oak. Shikamaru-san?"

Shikamaru was determined to keep the discussion brief. "The Dart is on its way to rendezvous with the Silver Leaf. Once that happens, Inari-san will take command of the mission. I imagine he will begin by jumping into the next system and investigating the nearside of the hole."

"Will Hikaru-kun and Ryuu-kun remain on the Silver Leaf?" Izuna asked. "Won't that be safer for them?"

"That will be up to Inari-san," Shikamaru pointed out. "He will be in the best place to evaluate the relative risks."

"And the Maple?"

"We are keeping Kakashi-san informed," Shikamaru replied. Kakashi was on his way home but something stopped him from mentioning that.

"I confess to being surprised that you are so calm about it, Shikamaru-san, given how close you are to Naruto-san and Haru-kun."

Unbidden, Shikamaru's mind threw up all the ways in which they could have died; he was suddenly teetering on the edge of an abyss.

"Shika is trying to remain positive, Izuna-sama," Neji retorted sharply.

Izuna gave a small bow. "Of course. I apologise if I upset you, Shikamaru-san. Would you like some tea? I am sure Neji-san could make us some."

Shikamaru made himself move away from the void and partition it away. "No thank you, Izuna-sama." He stood up. "Please excuse me. I shall leave you and Neji to your meeting."

He went to find Asuma, who was in his office with Konohamaru. They were watching two of the news channels, both of which seemed incapable of moving off the subject of Izuna Uchiha for more than thirty seconds.

"Well?" Asuma asked.

"Izuna-sama suggested 'Uchiha is looking into Reporter Karin's suggestion'."

"Could be worse," Asuma admitted. "Nice and brief. We'll go with that for now."

"Maybe you should go this evening," Shikamaru suggested.

Asuma sighed. "Kono-kun said the same. So who will be going? Izuna-sama will insist on Neji accompanying him as usual. Sumaru will be bodyguard."

"Tenten would love it," Konohamaru reminded him.

"Tenten would enjoy the concert greatly," Asuma conceded. "Very well; Izuna-sama, Sumaru, Neji, Tenten and me."

* * *

.

* * *

Madara dressed for the outing and checked the view from a variety of angles; there would be cameras everywhere and, once the events of the evening unfolded, the images they captured would be shown again and again.

Finally he opened the box Sasuke had left for him and put on the ear clips that matched Sumaru's tags.

When he reached the lobby of the household he was delighted to see Asuma instead of Konohamaru. Madara's heart sped up. Asuma's presence increased the risk of the plan failing because he was an elite fighter. On the other hand, the opportunity to put Asuma out of action was a bonus not to be missed.

Tenten was with him, which was good; Asuma would automatically protect her.

Not for the first time, Madara wondered what he saw in her. He could understand Asuma's attraction to his children's mother; he had seen images and Kurenai had been beautiful. In contrast, Tenten was plain and unwomanly.

Security in Level 1 and on the Tube was admirable. They were delivered to a secure room off the foyer of the concert hall where they made their final checks; he and Neji had in-ear speakers and throat microphones so that Neji could brief him on anyone they should meet.

He had Neji on his left and Sumaru on his right. Asuma and Tenten were behind him.

The doors slid open and they walked out into the foyer

The best place for the attack was midway between the Tube and their private box. Too soon and they would be able to retreat to the Tube. Too late and they would make it into the box and drop the security shutter.

He recognised the signs only because he was aware of the plan. A woman shouted, "There he is," and there was a surge of bodies across the foyer towards them.

"It is not right," Neji exclaimed. "Tube! Now!"

Then the shooting started. A laser hit him on the upper arm. It was a precise hit in the expected place but it still hurt. He pretended to stagger and fell; Neji's swift alert meant that he had to delay their flight.

The smell of cauterised flesh; his own and others'. Then the screaming and panicking started.

Sumaru lifted him by his uninjured arm and placed him on his feet. The youngster's symbiote was already activated. He was abnormally strong; his movements inhumanly fast.

Madara checked where the others were. Bodies were already between him and Neji. Asuma was hit but still on his feet.

He began running through the space Sumaru was creating for him; doing anything else would seem suspicious. Print after print sacrificed himself to delay Sumaru's progress.

He heard a soft grunt through his earpiece as Neji collapsed; success.

Then he and Sumaru were inside the secure room, alone.

"The Tube is safe. The JSF can be trusted." Sumaru told him. He looked towards the camera. "Please deliver Izuna-sama to the Uchiha compound."

The doors to the Tube slid open revealing an empty car. Madara hesitated. He could order Sumaru to accompany him but Izuna would have never done that. He would have insisted Sumaru assisted his crewmates.

"Go," he ordered, stepping into the car. "Bring them home, Sumaru-san." He would have to hope that the prints had already got Neji away.

* * *

.

* * *

Shikamaru was trying to get Sumiko to admit she was sleepy. Su-chan was determined to avoid going to bed until Neji was home.

He had managed to get her into her pyjamas, robe and slippers. She was sitting on the couch in the sitting room, sipping some of Choza's fabulous cocoa.

They were creating a story. Sumiko would have an idea and he would run with it. Occasionally she would make a contribution and he would have to adapt to accommodate it.

This evening she was full of suggestions, determine to convince him that she was wide awake.

They had got as far as people who lived in trees that grew as high as the clouds and rode birds when there was a quiet knock at the door.

"I'll get it, Nii-san," she declared, placing her cocoa carefully on the small table beside the couch.

It was Kiba. He smiled at Sumiko. Shikamaru steeled himself for the 'What in known space is she doing up?' look but it did not come.

"You are needed, Shika-san," he said. "I will look after Su-chan."

His tone was too gentle; his eyes too sympathetic. Shikamaru felt as if he had been punched in the gut. They must have heard something and it was not good news.

He looked at his wrist chronometer. The indicator was still unlit. There was no message from the Oak.

"Shika-san," Kiba repeated. "I'll stay with Su-chan. You are needed."

He pulled himself together and stood. "Su-chan, you be good for Kiba-san."

She was looking up at him anxiously. He tried to smile and she gave a small nod. "I'll be good. I'll finish my cocoa, clean my teeth and go to bed."

He passed Kiba and went out the open door, sliding it shut behind him, and then looked across the shared area into the kitchen.

Izuna was there. He was sitting on a chair, stripped to the waist. Biwako was examining a nasty laser burn to his upper arm.

Why was Izuna here? Where was everyone else?

"Where's Neji?" he demanded. He could feel panic bubbling up from somewhere deep. He partitioned it away.

"Sumaru threw me into a Tube car. I told him to go back for the others," Izuna answered.

That made some sense. Shikamaru switched on the projector and dug an interface from his pocket. Maybe there would be something on the news channels.

"Konohamaru and Keitaro are in the control room," Biwako told him. "Moegi and Kamatari are mobilising a medical response. Choza is talking to the JSF."

Shikamaru did not know what to do. He did not want to use the intercom, because Su-chan would hear. Should he go to the control room? Or follow Choza?

The interface made the connection. Both news channels were showing the Arts Centre. Whatever had happened was over. Expensively dressed men and women were wandering about aimlessly or sitting on the ground. Some people were receiving medical treatment.

There were bodies.

People had died.

Neji might be dead. Like Pa and Klenn. Just as Haru might be dead, and Na-chan, and Sasuke, and...

Someone had his arm and was guiding him to a chair. For one crazy moment he thought it was Sasuke but it wasn't.

"I hate you," he heard himself say, which surprised him.

Izuna's mouth tightened and his eyes narrowed. "I shall forget you said that, Shikamaru-san. You are upset."

There was movement in the doorway. Shikamaru made himself be present and focused. It was Sumaru. He was white with pain; a sure sign that he had used his symbiote and driven himself past his limits. He bowed; first to Izuna and then to him.

"I apologise for abandoning you, Izuna-sama. Shika-san, I am sorry. They took Neji-san. I did not see them take him but I spoke to many who did."

Took? What did 'took' mean?

"Asuma-san?" Izuna asked. "Tenten-san?"

"Asuma-san was hit several times. He was tanked at the scene and the tank is already here in the infirmary. Tenten-san has a few relatively minor injuries and is receiving treatment."

"Was he dead?" Shikamaru asked.

Sumaru would not make eye contact. "I do not know. None of the witnesses mentioned an injury."

Izuna's hand on his arm again. "Think, Shikamaru-san. Why would they take a body?"

Shikamaru twisted away. "The Hyuga have a price on his head. They would pay for his body." If it were the Hyuga, Neji might be better off dead. He knew Neji thought so.

If it were a kidnapping, those who carried it out would need to deliver Neji to whoever had paid for it. He stood up. "Someone should be trying to track them." He bowed. "Please excuse me, Izuna-sama. Sumaru-kun, I know it is a lot to ask, but could you take a painkiller and assist me?"

Sumaru nodded. "Moegi gave me a shot. It's already beginning to kick in."

By the middle of station night, Shikamaru had some grasp of what had happened.

Sumaru had given him an excellent account; when he was using the symbiote he had sharper senses and made more detailed memories. The JSF were being meticulously thorough in taking witness statements and documenting the scene. Every time a fresh piece of video of the attack emerged on a media channel or in the data streams, he made a copy and examined it for clues. He already had the data from all the sensors and detectors in the Arts Centre.

He had Tennyo Three on it using her Angela identity. She was following up leads.

It was most likely that the attackers had hid amongst the fleeing audience. No one had tried to stop people leaving. Many taxis and shuttles had docked in quick succession at each of the nine airlocks.

He had tried tracking each one but the data was not available.

The bodies whose identities did not check out were being kept for investigation. Two had already been scanned. They had mindnets; they were printed clones.

It was the Akatsuki; Orochimaru.

He felt a glimmer of hope; Orochimaru might want Neji alive.

Then, without warning, he was back watching the projection of Itachi with the bullmen. He could see the images; hear the sounds.

He felt sick. He had promised Neji he was safe; that nothing like that would ever happen to him again.

Neji had trusted him and he had betrayed that trust; broken his promise.

For once his mind was still; every thought silenced. All that remained was grief and despair.

* * *

.


	25. Distraction

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, cynder81 and melissen for continuing to review and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each chapter.

_Hits are nice. Rating a story is welcome. Reviews are like a cold drink on a hot, draining day._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 3: Betrayal**

**25: Distraction**

* * *

Sasuke was ripped from sleep by yet another alarm. Naruto was, as always, ahead of him, his eyes glued to the scopes, ready to move them again if necessary.

Naruto used tiny bursts of the steering rockets to navigate within the larger pieces of wreckage from the Oak, tucking the Blossom away in seemingly impossible to reach places to avoid the searchers.

It helped that the nekos had left everything in the Sakura switched on; the bug was still giving them warning of approaching enemy craft.

The danger passed. Naruto pushed the scopes aside, making do with the display. "Anything interesting?" he asked.

Sasuke checked the decoder. "Just the usual."

The usual was a coded ping from Fu on the Cherry confirming that they hadn't been detected. Sasuke replied in kind.

The Spear was still silent, but Sasuke knew it was out there somewhere because of Itachi's daily verbal duel with Orochimaru.

There was no more from the Lancet but that was to be expected; Dan would not take the risk. Nothing from the Snow Willow; there had never been anything from the Snow Willow.

"Check for a beacon?" Naruto suggested.

Crews planted and activated a beacon when a ship made an emergency drop to a planet. It was specific to the ship.

"It's too soon," Sasuke replied. At this point in its orbit, the second habitable planet was furthest from the hole.

"Maybe not," Naruto suggested. "Kuu-chan might have gone straight for it, as soon as Itachi said they were abandoning ship. I can imagine him matching velocities with a bit of the wreckage going in that direction, hiding behind it. He'd have been clear of the battlefield before they even thought about looking for him."

It seemed unlikely but Naruto could think like the kits in a way Sasuke could not. He considered; the Snow Willow was small and fast enough for it to have worked. "You mustn't be too disappointed if I look for it and it isn't there."

Naruto nodded.

It did not take long; Sasuke had rehearsed every step in his head over the last four days. His heart sped up as he realised there was a beacon's signal buried in the background noise.

"Teme?" Naruto queried.

"Almost there," Sasuke replied as he decoded the Snow Willow's signal. "He's down!" He put his hand out and Naruto grasped it. Sasuke looked across. "He's only twelve," he whispered.

Naruto's eyes steadied him. "He'll be fine."

Sasuke knew Naruto was right, just as Itachi had been right to choose Kuuya to man the Snow Willow. Kuuya was the most sensible of the kits. He balanced risk and return when making decisions. He wasn't a berserker.

He was also stronger than any adult purebred male and twice as fast.

"It isn't Kuuya I'm worried about," Naruto added.

Sasuke's gut twisted. T2 had docked with T1 the day before and they had to assume that the pods had been transferred.

Whenever they discussed it, they always spoke of the pods being taken back to the original Orochimaru. That gave them the whole of the journey to rescue them.

The alternative, that the Orochimaru print had opened the pods, was too terrible to contemplate.

At Naruto's urging, he embarked on the mundane maintenance tasks that had to be completed each day. He checked his suit and then moved onto the Blossom. The air scrubbers and all the other systems were functioning well.

The only problem he could foresee was the steering rockets running out of fuel.

"Here it comes," Naruto warned.

Sasuke looked towards the display screen, expecting to see Orochimaru's mocking smirk.

Instead he saw Akemi: spread-eagled on his front; his back ruined by a whip. The rage deep within, contained until now, surged outwards and threaten to consume him.

"Sasuke," Naruto called.

He pulled his eyes from the screen and locked gazes with his beloved.

"He wants you to lose your temper," Naruto reminded him. "Don't give him what he wants."

It was easier said than done, but Sasuke forced himself to watch and listen.

"_This is Sasuke Uchiha,"_ Itachi's voice stated on the usual channel. _"If this is your opening gambit you have even less style than I gave you credit for. It is very crass, Orochimaru-san."_

The image of Akemi was replaced by Orochimaru in his usual chair. _"You wish to negotiate with me, Sasuke Uchiha?"_

"_I have never said otherwise, Orochimaru-san. What do you want?"_

"_My fox-human hybrids,"_ Orochimaru stated at once.

"_My sons. Unfortunately you already have them."_

"_Only four of them."_

"_The others are not here. There was more than one system to survey."_

"_The youngster told me otherwise,"_ Orochimaru claimed.

"_He told you nothing,"_ Itachi replied.

"_The Bara hybrid, then."_

"_Again, not here. With our other children. Elsewhere."_

"_It appears you have nothing I want, Sasuke Uchiha."_

"_That is not true. Someone had to stand in Naruto's place. Someone who has stood in Naruto's place before."_

Sasuke saw Orochimaru frown. His lips moved and Sasuke read them. _"The boy is still in Tarrasade."_ Then his eyes lit up. _"The sharkman,"_ he declared.

"_Indeed. The sharkman. Now, what can I get for my sharkman?"_

Orochimaru smiled. _"Who knows? Your daughter? Perhaps even untouched. Or maybe with my child growing in her belly?"_

Naruto surged from his chair towards the screen: fingers clawed and teeth bared in a snarl. The straps tore as if they were paper.

Luckily his controller felled him before he could savage the display screen.

It was harder to get Naruto back into his chair than it would have been in full gravity; the space was so limited and Sasuke struggled to control his own movement. Finally he had him comfortable and was mending the straps.

As he did so, he listened to Itachi and Orochimaru's verbal spar; he would review the recording later to check that he had not missed anything.

What did the Orochimaru print want other than the kits and Kisame? Anything? And how did he know that Sumaru had stayed in Tarrasade?

Presumably the same way he knew that the Oak would be jumping into this system.

Who had betrayed them? One of the hybrid carers? Konan? Five?

Naruto groaned.

"What happened to 'don't give him what he wants', dobe?"

Naruto sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Teme," he complained. "That's why Itachi is negotiating, not us."

Sasuke pushed a drinking bottle in Naruto's direction; flipping always made him thirsty.

Naruto caught it as it floated across the cabin. "Does Akemi have a chance?"

"I hope so," Sasuke replied. He shuddered. "I think Orochimaru prefers playing with his victims to killing them."

They watched the end of the day's negotiation together.

"It isn't going anywhere," Naruto complained.

"I don't think it is meant to at this stage," Sasuke admitted. "Orochimaru thinks he can dig more of us out. He's probably still hoping that he will be able to locate Itachi using his transmission."

Naruto snorted in derision.

Sasuke agreed. He was not sure what Itachi had done but he thought it involved using relays scattered throughout the battlefield. Certainly there had been a rush of minky fighters towards a location after each transmission.

He checked. Interestingly, it was not happening this time.

"Something may be up, dobe," he warned.

They watched and waited. T1, the mothership with the miniature Mulligan drive, was moving. Sasuke told himself not to get excited. It did not make sense that Orochimaru would jump out of the system.

Unless he had decided that he had enough of the kits and that Itachi was lying about Kisame. Then he might jump out of the system and explode all the bombs behind him.

Which was why they had to piggyback.

At least Kuuya was safely away. Haru and Kazuki should be well clear of the battlefield.

"He might be going to pretend to jump to draw us out," Naruto suggested.

Sasuke did not like the thought of that at all. It would work. If the Blossom was going to piggyback, the Cherry and possibly the Spear would have to create a diversion.

"Or jump out and then back," Naruto added.

There were too many possibilities. "Whichever, he's going to have some extra passengers," Sasuke declared.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but then closed it and nodded.

Preparing was better than merely waiting. Naruto's suggestions emphasised that they needed to be ready for anything. As well as checking Naruto's guns, they had packs, personal weapons, transmitters, jammers, tags, chaff, decoys and bombs of various sizes. They went over their suits and then added an extra layer of flexible armour.

They exchanged coded messages with the Cherry and alerted the Spear. After that there was nothing left but watching the Sakura's battleboard to monitor the developing situation.

"I can't believe they left it active," Sasuke observed. "Do you think it was deliberate?"

Naruto twitched his whiskers and then shook his head. "Those nekos spend more time trying to avoid coming to Orochimaru's attention than thinking about doing their job properly."

Sasuke understood. It was like Uchiha under his father; people did not give their best, they gave what it was safe to give.

It was all about waiting for the right moment. T1 was heading for the hole, which would take it into the battlefield. Once it was within it, the situation would change; Orochimaru would no long be able to use the threat of the bombs.

"T2 and T3 aren't following," Naruto observed. "Do you think they are going to be left behind?"

It looked like it. "Haru thought that T3 controlled the bombs," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "Having fewer people on the mother ship will make it easier for us."

But harder for those who were staying behind; Sasuke thought it but did not say it. "We should try to rest," he suggested.

It was easier said than done.

T1 finally entered the battlefield. Nothing had docked with it, not even one minky fighter. Sasuke was becoming more and more convinced that it was ruse to get them to show themselves.

Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, it had started. The Spear appeared from nowhere, swooped in and attacked T1. Naruto swung the scopes into position and glued his eyes to them.

Itachi's channel crackled into life. _"Where are you going, Orochimaru-san?"_ he asked. _"It is rude to walk away in the middle of a conversation."_

Orochimaru's image appeared. _"You will desist, Sasuke Uchiha, or I will kill the young man, Akemi, and then Captain Gai."_

The Spear did not appear to be attacking again. Instead it was moving away, drawing with it a swarm of minky fighters.

"Kisame has blown a hole in one of the docking bay doors," Naruto observed.

Sasuke's heart leapt. It was a brilliant idea. T1 was small for a mothership, like the Maple; with T2, T3 and the minky fighters staying behind, at least two-thirds of the docking bays must be empty. "Is it big enough?" he asked. "Have you a line of sight to see inside?"

"The hole's big enough," Naruto confirmed. "No line of sight. I am going to start moving up."

Sasuke swallowed and nodded.

This was it. Itachi and Kisame had done what they could. They had tried to provide a hiding place for them on the mothership, created a diversion and drawn away many of the small fighters; removing many pairs of eyes.

Now it was up to them and the Cherry.

It was a scenario they had practiced but never used. The Blossom and the Cherry looked identical. The enemy had to believe there was one craft, not two. The enemy would not look for the Blossom if they were convinced that they had left the Cherry behind.

Sasuke imagined Hamaki, Terai and Fu in the Cherry, determined to get them and the children, including Naomi, away to safety. Terai would be piloting, Fu in command and Hamaki on the guns.

If it came to it, they would sacrifice themselves. It was up to him and Naruto to make that outcome as unlikely as possible.

It began. They were weaving in and out of the wreckage. First the Cherry took the risk of being spotted and then the Blossom but never at the same time.

Closer and closer without a shot being fired. Were Terai and Naruto that good? Was the enemy that inattentive? Was it a trap?

Then Naruto growled a warning. Sasuke breathed out and relaxed just before he was crushed by the G force as they accelerated.

The Cherry appeared on the Sakura's battleboard; Fu had come out of stealth mode. It made the Cherry easier to detect but active sensors meant they could fight more effectively.

His eyes were fixed on the display showing what Naruto could see through the scopes. They were skimming across the surface of the T1 mothership, just behind the Cherry.

Then they were decelerating, which was like Naruto's acceleration manoeuvre but worse. Sasuke felt his ribs beginning to give way as he blacked out.

He struggled back to consciousness. The Sakura's battleboard was gone. The display from the scopes was dark; Sasuke could see nothing.

"Sorry about that," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke tried breathing deeply. It hurt but there were no stabbing pains; his ribs might be bruised but they were not broken. "Are we in?" he asked.

"Yes. Looks good. No radio, though."

Sasuke guessed that Naruto could see more using the scopes; a combination of his ability to see in low light and looking directly rather than via a camera. "How long was I out?"

"No more than a couple of minutes. Your breathing was fine once the G force let up."

He wanted to ask about the Cherry but did not. Without any radio signals there was no way Naruto could know. Perhaps it was better this way; they could cling to the hope that Hamaki, Terai and Fu had made it.

"How long do you think it'll be until we jump?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke thought back to the battleboard and projected the mothership's path and speed. "Do you think the ship has been travelling at a steady velocity?" he checked.

Naruto nodded.

"A hundred minutes, maybe a hundred and fifty."

"Time for a recce," Naruto suggested. "While they are still worrying about another attack this side of the hole."

"Outside," Sasuke checked.

"Can't do much from in here. We need to jam the airlocks and check for hazards. I don't think there are any cameras but there might be. Or a viewing port. Either way we would need to block it."

"Good idea," Sasuke agreed. "I am coming with you. We should also position a radio relay at the hole in the docking bay doors."

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "I can manage. You won't be able to see anything and we can't risk using a lamp."

"That's what vision enhancing goggles are for," Sasuke reminded him. "It will be quicker with two of us. We shouldn't be wasting time arguing."

Naruto checked their packs and toolkits. Sasuke prepared the relay before donning the goggles and finding a pair of magnetic overshoes. Helmets and gloves on, they sealed their suits and pumped the air out of the cabin.

Then Sasuke overrode the safety settings so that they could have both doors of the airlock open.

Sasuke peered out. They had been lucky. The docking bay was fitted out to contain rank after rank of the tiny fighters; the Blossom was much less obvious than it would have been in a bay designed to take a single, large ship.

It was also almost empty. Sasuke could see where ten rows of the tiny vessels had been tethered. Only one row of six remained.

He wondered if Itachi had known which docking bay to hole or whether it was fluke. Knowing Itachi he had probably worked it out.

They began with a quick look around. They could not see any viewing ports or spot any cameras, which was a good start. Sasuke began putting together what he could see to make a mental image of what the bay contained. On the wall opposite to the docking bay doors there were ten platforms, one above the other. Six of the small fighters were still moored at the second platform from the top; the other fifty-four had been launched.

Naruto had tucked the Blossom into a corner between the lowest platform and the one above.

It looked like the platforms were accessed by ladders that ran up and down from the fourth platform from the bottom where the airlocks were located. Sasuke started in that direction.

There wasn't any artificial gravity; he was glad of his magnetic overshoes. He walked along to a ladder and started up towards the airlocks.

Naruto jumped, launching himself across the bay towards the hole in the docking bay doors.

Sasuke reached the fourth platform up and settled to his task of drilling a small hole in the outer door. It would mean that the airlock could not be pressurised; the inner door would not open unless they pumped all the air from the corridor beyond.

It was a slow job; the door was thick.

Naruto joined him. He extended a wire from his suit and plugged it into the socket at the base of Sasuke's helmet, connecting their microphones with the speakers in their helmets.

"_The relay is in place. I checked the fighters. I thought they might be occupied, with the minkies in stasis, but they are empty_," he explained.

"Good_,"_ Sasuke acknowledged; they did not want anyone this side of the airlocks. "Why don't you sort out a tether for the Blossom?"

Naruto nodded, disconnected the wire between them and dived off the platform.

Sasuke moved onto the other airlock and then made his way back.

Naruto had moored the Blossom using two tethers so that they would stay tucked into the corner even if the mothership accelerated.

They went back into the Blossom's cabin, shut the airlock doors but did not pressurise the cabin. They both plugged into the ship's communication system and Sasuke connected to the relay.

The Sakura's battleboard immediately appeared on one of the display screens. There was more static than there had been before but once Sasuke had cleaned up the signal they could make out the ships.

T2 and T3 remained well away from the battlefield. Sasuke could make out over thirty of the small fighters. T1, the mothership they were on, was still heading towards the hole.

There was no sign of the Spear or the Cherry.

They settled down to wait for the jump. Naruto kept watch while Sasuke prepared and coded the message that they would transmit once they were in the next system.

Sasuke had started to doubt it was going to happen when Naruto stiffened. A few moments later he felt it: the Mulligan drive had activated.

That meant the enemy had stopped disrupting the jump field; Sasuke hoped that the two halves of the minigate would engage and activate.

He had braced himself for the disorientation that accompanied a jump when static washed across all three screens and crackled from every speaker.

They jumped.

Sasuke stared at the screens. The ship had begun transmitting a jamming signal even before the jump. Orochimaru was determined that no message got through.

"_You don't think they realise we are here?"_ Naruto asked.

He could hear Naruto because they were wired in; the suit radios were operating as an intercom. "No," Sasuke decided. "If Orochimaru thought we were here he wouldn't have jumped. I think he knows about the minigates."

"No message home or to the Maple or the Silver Leaf," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke looked towards Naruto and saw a side view of sad eyes and drooping whiskers.

He thought about those waiting for news, especially those closest to them: Hikaru and Ryuu; Iruka and Kakashi; Shika. He was particularly worried about Shika. Shika would be clinging to the hope that they were alive while trying to avoid the ferocious barrage of 'what ifs' that his mind was creating.

He hoped that Neji was going a good job of looking after him.

"Once this ship has jumped out of the system, our messages will get through," he insisted. "We will leave a transmitter."

Naruto perked up a little, Sasuke could tell by the angle of his whiskers.

"The priority is the younger children's pods," Sasuke continued. "We'll set the pods adrift in the system for the Dart or the Maple to find. The jamming signal will help with that. It will make the pods harder to spot."

Naruto was now facing him full on.

Sasuke recognised his expression and scowled in return. "I am not staying with the younger children while you go with the mothership and wait for your chance to rescue the others."

Naruto said nothing but his whiskers dropped and his eyes told Sasuke that he was falling short.

"It is not my duty to hide and wait to be rescued," Sasuke insisted. "It is my duty to communicate that I am alive and appraise Kakashi about the situation beyond the hole. We can do that using a transmitter."

Naruto's whiskers twitched.

Sasuke looked directly into Naruto's eyes. "I intend to rescue my children and track Orochimaru back to his lair. Then I am going to watch while you rip his head off so we can take it home and check it isn't a print."

"_Head-ripping-off sounds good,"_ Naruto admitted, his eyes brightening.

Sasuke smiled. "That's the plan then."

Naruto smiled back. "_That's the plan_," he agreed.

* * *

.


	26. Pressure

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Apologies to those who have had trouble finding this new version. Welcome back!

Thanks to donalgraeme, cynder81, mikako17 and melissen for continuing to review and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 3: Betrayal**

**26: Pressure**

* * *

Shikamaru knew there was someone there but it wasn't Su-chan so he ignored them. In the end whoever it was put a hand on his arm.

It wasn't Izuna. He would have been able to tell if it was Izuna.

He reluctantly pushed up his visor. It was Konohamaru. Shikamaru had no problems reading his lips.

"You're late."

Shikamaru gave up and pulled out his earpieces. He glanced at the wrist chronometer Neji had given him. He was ten minutes late for the meeting.

"Shika-san," Konohamaru pleaded. "We need you there."

It had been six days since the Oak's message had not arrived; the fourth day since Neji had been kidnapped. Shikamaru had spent every moment he could in the data streams. There was nothing but silence; not a whisper about either.

Izuna had taken command. There was no arguing against it. He was a full blood Uchiha who was no longer legally dead. Asuma, whom Sasuke had placed in command, was tanked. Kakashi, Sasuke's second-in-command and parent-in-reserve to his children, would not arrive for another ten days.

Shikamaru loathed seeing Izuna in Sasuke's place. To make it worse, every day he was there strengthened his claim.

Before he could stop it, his mind threw up possible futures in which Sasuke was absent and Izuna led Uchiha.

He pushed the rapidly diversifying pathways down and erected yet another partition to trap them. He would not think on it. There was only one possibility he would consider; Sasuke, Naruto and the children were alive but trapped in the system at the end of the route.

Just like Neji might be kidnapped but was alive and safe.

He followed Konohamaru to the small meeting room. They both bowed.

"I apologise for being late, Izuna-sama," Shikamaru stated.

"I understand that you are distressed, Shikamaru-san," Izuna replied but his tone implied that he was losing patience. "If you and Konohamaru-san would take your places, we will begin."

Izuna had ordered the tables rearranged, Instead of the square that Sasuke had favoured, there was a long rectangle. Izuna sat alone at one of the short sides, defining that as the head. Konohamaru had the first seat on the long side to Izuna's right; Shikamaru was in the similar place to Izuna's left.

Everyone had their place. Purebred males were closest to the head of the rectangle, females next and hybrids last. There was no chair opposite Izuna.

Sumaru had no place at the table. He stood behind Izuna in a bodyguard's traditional position.

Tenten was absent; she had been put on watch.

"Shikamaru-san," Izuna prompted.

He launched into his report, keeping it as brief as possible. "Except from the Oak, all communication channels are open and information is flowing freely. We are in regular contact with the Dart, the Silver Leaf, the Maple and the allied crews. Both the Dart and the Maple are making good progress. There is still no information pertaining to the Oak's silence. There is no contact from the Akatsuki and no indication of Neji's whereabouts. Our efforts to initiate contact with the Hyuga have been ignored."

Shikamaru watched for Izuna's reaction to the Hyuga's rudeness but there was none, which was odd.

"Thank you Shikamaru-san. Konohamaru-san?"

So the meeting went on. It was all very formal and stilted. There was no discussion. Izuna looked like he was sucking a lime when he called on Moegi to make her report.

He had already stopped her seeing Udon, saying that they were too shorthanded for her to leave the compound and that it was not a time for outsiders to visit.

She repeated her suggestion that Asuma could be removed from the tank and fitted with regens. Izuna overruled her, insisting that he remain in the tank until fully recovered.

"Does anyone have anything else?" Izuna asked.

There was silence. The daily briefing was over.

"Shikamaru-san, with me," Izuna ordered.

Shikamaru had no choice but to trail after Izuna as he walked to his office. Sumaru was still with him, a silent and deadly shadow.

Once there, Izuna settled at his desk and Shikamaru reluctantly took the indicated chair. Sumaru fetched an exquisite lacquered tray bearing an elegant sake set and poured them each a cup.

Shikamaru stared at the cup; he had no intention of touching it.

The tray and sake set were new, indicating that Izuna had been to the storerooms again. Shikamaru looked about, noting the new additions to the decor; each as valuable and rare as the others.

"You may leave us, Sumaru-san. I shall not need you for the rest of the afternoon."

Shikamaru tried not to stiffen.

"Your report was very brief, Shikamaru-san," Izuna began. "Is there nothing else?"

Shikamaru launched into a highly detailed account of a selection of the searches he had run and a small proportion of the people he had contacted. It had the desired effect; within a few minutes Izuna had glazed over and interrupted.

"It is good to know you are so thorough, Shikamaru-san." He activated the intercom from his desk. "This is Izuna. I require coffee in my office."

There was no suggestion that it was a request rather than an order; no apology for the possible inconvenience caused.

Izuna settled back into his chair. "I wish to discuss the Uchiha finances."

Shikamaru did not hesitate. "I can call up the accounts for you, Izuna-sama," he offered.

Keitaro arrived with a flask of coffee by the time Shikamaru had activated the projector and connected an interface.

He bowed. "Do you wish me to serve it, Izuna-sama?" he asked.

"No, Keitaro-kun. Place it on the side and go."

Shikamaru watched Keitaro leave. As the door slid shut he realised that Izuna was moving. He removed Shikamaru's cup of sake, took it to the side and came back with a cup of coffee.

"Thank you, Izuna-sama," Shikamaru acknowledged. He tried to recall if he had ever before seen Izuna serve anyone. He sipped the coffee; it was delicious.

"You are welcome, Shikamaru-san. The accounts?"

It was interesting to see the colour drain from Izuna's face as he realised just how little credit remained.

"Eleven gates and eighteen planets was a large investment, Izuna-sama," Shikamaru pointed out. "We have enough income to maintain current levels of provision."

"No credit reserves?" Izuna queried.

"Only those shown, Izuna-sama."

Shikamaru sipped his coffee and watched Izuna come to terms with the financial situation. Nothing could be sold without Sasuke's ratification; not until he was officially categorised as lost.

"You have resources under your own name, Shikamaru-san," Izuna suggested.

Shikamaru was momentarily shocked. "Yes, Izuna-sama."

"Yet you are sworn to Uchiha," Izuna reminded him.

Shikamaru thought quickly. Izuna had a legitimate point; technically what was his was Uchiha's even if Sasuke had never chosen to see it that way. Hesitating would only lead to questions he really did not wish to answer. He called up the accounts he held under his own name. The amount they contained was much lower than usual; he also had used all his liquid assets purchasing his batch of gates. However, unlike Uchiha, Shikamaru's income was vast. His credit reserves had soon started to recover.

The balance was enough to make the necessary impact.

Izuna's eyes lit up. He flushed slightly and licked his top lip with the tip of his tongue.

Shikamaru began authorising the transfers. "Some funds will be available immediately; others may take a few days. Do you wish me to realise all the credit as Belmenth credit tokens?" That would mean that Izuna would be able to spend it and Shikamaru was interested in what he would choose to purchase.

Izuna's gaze went to where the token reader had been built into the desk by one of the Uchiha-samas who had used it. "That would be convenient," he admitted.

"I shall see to it, Izuna-sama."

* * *

.

* * *

Madara did not know what to think. Shikamaru had given up a fortune without batting an eyelid. It was possible that the credit had been kept under his name merely for convenience.

Perhaps he should have waited before drugging his coffee.

Shikamaru's behaviour was proving confusing. He had not fallen apart as Madara had anticipated. Instead he had... ...normalised. He had become a highly intelligent and extremely effective nerd with a bad habit of tardiness.

Someone he found surprisingly irritating.

When Madara had first met him there had been glimpses of so much more; Shikamaru had reminded him of his brother's lover. Even though he preferred women, it had appealed to him to have his own version of the person Izuna had loved so much.

It was possible he had seen what he had coveted rather than what was there.

Otherwise, things were going well. There was no suggestion that the Oak had escaped the trap. Neji was with the Hyuga. Asuma was temporarily out of the way. Shikamaru had just given him enough credit to buy a good sized fleet.

The next hurdle would be Kakashi's arrival. Madara could see no alternative to facing him down. He would put his case for leading Uchiha in Sasuke's 'absence'.

He was almost certain that Kakashi would concur. If he did not, 'Izuna' would force a challenge and then Sumaru would kill Kakashi for him. Sumaru's code would give him no other choice.

No, it was much more likely that Kakashi would bide his time until Hikaru was old enough to claim his father's place.

Two standards was a long time. A lot could happen within two standards.

Shikamaru was developing a rather attractive flush to his skin; the first sign of the drug taking effect. Madara reconsidered.

He already had more than he had planned. He had thought that Shikamaru would need persuading to provide him with funds. That goal achieved, he did not wish to waste Shikamaru's artificially enhanced suggestibility, particularly as Karin had only managed to fit one tiny vial into the shuttle.

He would push and see what happened.

He stood up and walked around his desk to where Shikamaru was sitting. The coffee cup was empty, which was good.

Shikamaru's eyes followed him; the irises reduced to mere rings around dilated pupils.

"Are you well, Shikamaru-san?" he asked.

For once Shikamaru did not have a ready answer. He looked confused, which was a definite improvement. "I'm not sure," he admitted.

Madara took hold of his upper arm and guided him to his feet. "You will feel better sitting in a more comfortable chair," he suggested.

Normally Shikamaru avoided being too close. The few times Madara had touched him he had twisted away. This time he leaned towards him and allowed himself to be supported. "Thank you," he whispered.

Suddenly Madara remembered why he had been interested. He slipped an arm around Shikamaru's waist, walked him to the couch and sat down beside him.

Inside his head be began rehearsing excuses for why he had fucked a man wearing a love-ring.

* * *

.

* * *

Shikamaru felt weird. Thinking was difficult. He had been taking stims on and off over the last five days. Drinking coffee on top was proving to have been a very bad idea.

Someone helped him to his feet. By the time they were across the room and sitting on the couch he had decided it wasn't Neji or Na-chan or Kakashi-sensei. He wasn't being lectured so it wasn't Iruka-sensei.

Was it Sasuke? It felt and sounded like Sasuke. Sasuke sometimes held him when he needed comfort.

Then the hand moved. It went under his shirt and across the skin of his back. What was Sasuke doing? They were close; too close. Shikamaru could feel the other's breath on his neck.

He went to pull away but he was pinned. The hand that had been on his back was sliding down the back of his pants. The breath on his neck was replaced by the tip of a tongue.

It wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke would never cheat on Naruto.

In a moment of utter clarity he realised it was Izuna and was violently sick.

The side of his face and his ear exploded with pain. It cleared his mind so that he could think. Izuna's blow had thrown him from the couch. He turned the momentum it had given him into movement across the room and towards the door.

He expected it to be locked and it was. He drew his knife.

"Don't be stupid, Shikamaru. Put the knife away," Izuna ordered.

Shikamaru almost laughed. As if he would go up against an Uchiha in a fight. He wouldn't have a hope. He sprang the cover of the door controls, cut two of the wires and shorted the circuit.

The door opened and he was off, pretending not to hear Izuna's command to return.

He was pretty sure Izuna would not follow him immediately; he had scored a direct hit with the vomit. He slowed. Where should he go? He did not want Su-chan seeing him until he had cleaned up and done something about his face.

His feet were taking him towards the infirmary, which made some kind of sense. He would be able to find something to stop his face swelling.

He had not considered that Moegi would be there. He should have, it was mid afternoon, but his mind still wasn't working.

"Shika-san!" she exclaimed.

"I took too many stims, made myself sick and walked into a doorframe," Shikamaru lied. "Can you sort me out?" Then, embarrassingly, he threw up again; this time on the floor.

Moegi was very professional about it. She treated his face and gave him something to control the nausea.

"Did Izuna-sama hit you?" she asked.

He looked at her directly. "No," he lied. "And if he had, there would be nothing any of us could do about it," he reminded her. "That is the reality of being sworn to Uchiha."

She bit her lip. "I know."

"Do you?" he checked, because a typed-seven genius was irreplaceable but a medico was not.

She frowned at him and nodded. "You should flush the stims from your system," she told him, going to fetch the appropriate hypospray.

"Not here," Shikamaru replied. "I'll use it when I get back to my room. I'll tell Choza I don't feel well. He and Kiba will keep an eye on Su-chan."

She reluctantly placed the hypospray in his outstretched hand.

Shikamaru felt safer in the crew room. Hitting on someone whose partner had been kidnapped did not fit with Izuna's image; he was sure that Izuna would not do it when others were around. He stuck to his story about taking too many stims, which he hoped would be more convincing now that Moegi had treated his face.

Choza agreed that he should sleep and promised to make sure that Su-chan was looked after.

He wanted to sit down at the table in the kitchen. It was what he usually did when he felt lost. Seeing people come and go reminded him who he was.

Only too many of those people were absent.

He reluctantly went to his room, or rather his and Neji's room. The shared sitting room was not so bad because Su-chan used that too. It was the bedroom that was the problem.

The bedroom and the bed that he shared with Neji.

He forced himself out of his clothes and into the shower. He was still having problems thinking and he stopped trying. The hot water washed away the muck; the vomit and Izuna's touch.

He turned off the faucet, made a half-hearted attempt to dry himself and pulled on some pyjama pants and a comfortable top.

Then he sat down on the bed, pressed the hypospray against his neck, discarded it and lay down.

He didn't get into the bed; he had not slept under the covers since Neji was kidnapped.

The first thing when he woke he saw was a board propped up on a chair beside the bed with Sumiko's writing on it. It read, 'I will be back to check on you at' followed by six times, the first five of which were crossed out.

He checked the chronometer. It was midmorning and four minutes until the sixth time. He threw back the cover that Sumiko had draped over him and went into the bathroom.

He had dressed and was tackling his hair when Sumiko arrived.

"Taking stims is a bad idea," she told him and then paused, waiting for Shikamaru to respond.

"I know, Su-chan," he complied.

She made the sound of a big sigh and took the brush from him. He submitted, knowing that she would be too vigorous with the brushing because she was worried about him.

"It's not easy finding holes using data you can get by telescope," she informed him.

The sudden change in subject threw him for a moment. He hadn't consciously thought about the plan for days. He had searches running, various partitions of his mind were thinking about it and the deals with the astronomers were progressing; he had Tennyo Six coordinating them. "No," he conceded.

"Haru, Kazuki and Ran could be trapped in the system at the end of the route for a long time," Sumiko continued.

"Yes," he replied, cautiously.

She brushed in silence for a while. He concentrated on anticipating the tugs so that he could go with them; it was less painful that way.

She stopped brushing. "Nii-san, should you always keep a secret?" she asked.

Shikamaru hesitated before answering. "Mostly, Su-chan, but there are times when you have to tell another person. Times when telling the secret hurts fewer people than not telling."

She studied him. "Is it true that the Centralites would never wipe your mind because you are a typed-seven genius?"

Where had that come from? "It is highly unlikely that the Centralites would mindwipe me," he replied.

"Is it true you have to tell Sasuke-sama everything?"

This was getting interesting. "I am meant to," he replied. "Are you asking me whether I would tell Sasuke-sama a secret that would get him mindwiped?"

Su-chan considered and then nodded.

"I would not tell Sasuke-sama a secret if knowing it was going to get him mindwiped," he confirmed.

She looked relieved. "I have something to show you after you have eaten your breakfast."

Shikamaru was intrigued.

Choza was in the kitchen. He gestured that Shikamaru should sit down.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes," Shikamaru replied, which was true in one way; physically he felt less wretched. "Has Izuna-sama asked for me?"

"No because we made sure that Kono-san told him yesterday evening that you were sleeping off an overdose of stims and were unlikely to be available until tomorrow. If he asks at the briefing this afternoon, I shall say that you got up for a light meal but then went back to bed."

"Thank you, Choza-san."

He thought that Choza might have said more if Sumiko had not been present.

Breakfast over, Sumiko took his hand and began towing him in the direction of his and Neji's office. Again, it was not what he had expected.

What in known space had she been up to?

But they didn't stop in his office. She led him through into Haru's laboratory.

"This is the best simulator," she told him, as if that explained everything. She frowned at him. "You need to get in, Nii-san."

"Wouldn't it be better if we used the playroom simulators and went in together?" he queried.

"I thought so," she admitted, "but he chose this one."

Who was 'he'? Haru?

He stripped and got in. He was familiar with the controls; he had tested the simulator often enough while he and Kotetsu has been working on it.

As soon as he logged on he was plunged into a near-perfect simulation of his birch woods on the Oak. Standing there was a sim of a youngster about Haru's age. His short, straight black hair moved slightly in the simulated breeze. He was dressed in black with a strange, cropped top that left his midriff bare.

The eye contact was perfect, which was amazing.

"It is good to meet you, Shikamaru. I am Sai. It stands for Self-aware Artificial Intelligence. You helped create me."

* * *

.


	27. Outlook

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Apologies to those who have had trouble finding this new version. Welcome back!

Thanks to donalgraeme, cynder81, mikako17 and melissen for continuing to review and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Scenes that are considered too graphic have been replaced by oo******oo. **If you are over 18 and looking for the deleted scenes you will need to pm me as this site automatically obliterates all reference to the website where you can find them. Alternatively, solve this simple code 1 4 21 12 20 6 1 1 20 9 15 14 . 14 5 20

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**27: Outlook**

* * *

"It is good to meet you, Shikamaru. I am Sai. It stands for Self-aware Artificial Intelligence. You helped create me."

Shikamaru's mind settled into a slightly different shape. It felt right; he knew at once that Sai was real.

Even so, he felt obliged to check; he asked to see a sample of Sai's memory and an example of how he thought.

It was amazing. Sai's code was utterly unique and mind-bogglingly fast.

Sai told him about Haru's immortal quiggle, the corrupted data crystal array and the fragments of Tronny code.

It was a cautionary tale. He and Haru had inadvertently produced the conditions in which an artificial intelligence could evolve. They had created a new form of sapient life.

Maybe typed-geniuses were as dangerous as Centre believed.

Listening to Sai talk was fascinating. He was surprisingly human. He cared about his friends, particularly Sumiko and Haru. He wanted to help.

In a way he was just like them; another child who had grown up in the Uchiha household.

Sai had not found any patterns in astronomical data that corresponded to holes. He had tried all the tricks that Haru had thought of when he was investigating how to tell which holes linked. None of them had worked.

"I do not think the data we require is there, Shikamaru," he concluded.

Shikamaru considered. "Then we need a new question. Is it possible to collect the data we do need at a distance using a telescope?"

There was a pause. "I do not know," Sai admitted.

"Neither do I. We must think of all the ways that holes show and whether any of them might be detected by a telescope."

The pause was longer this time. "I do not have enough information about telescopes and cosmology. Do I have permission to get more?"

Shikamaru almost said yes but hesitated. "Does Haru restrict what you can do?" he asked.

"There are rules to keep my friends safe and to keep me safe," Sai replied. "I am not allowed to rewrite other's code. None of my code must ever go out of the Uchiha household, whether in Tarrasade or on the Oak. All my code must have a cloak of ordinary code to hide it. I am not allowed to spy on people. I must look for security settings and act like they can keep me out. I must not tell anyone what or who I am. I broke that one by telling Sumiko and then telling you."

"They are good rules," Shikamaru reinforced; if Haru thought such rules were necessary they probably were. "I shall get you more data about cosmology and telescopes."

"I have an idea," Sai told him.

"Tell me," Shikamaru demanded.

"To make the route finder work, we included data from systems three jumps away from the system with the hole."

Shikamaru froze. Of course; why hadn't he thought of that? They had excellent data about the systems this side of the hole that was blocked.

If it was blocked. If the Oak had not been destroyed. Suddenly his mind was filled with the consequences if Haru, Na-chan, Sasuke and the others were dead. He pushed them down and erected another partition.

"Is my idea no good, Shikamaru-san?" Sai asked.

"It's a very good idea," Shikamaru assured him. "Can you look into that, Sai, while I find you more data about cosmology and telescopes?"

"Yes," Sai replied. "Sumiko is anxious. I can see her using the sensors Haru placed for me in his laboratory. She is biting her lip and fiddling with objects."

"I should go talk to her."

"Yes. It is good to meet you, Shikamaru. Thank you for believing that I am real."

"It is good to meet you too, Sai. You are welcome."

"He's real," Sumiko insisted as soon as he opened the simulator.

"I know that, Su-chan." He looked at the purse at her waist. "Are you happy carrying him around or do you want to put him somewhere safer? I can sort out a wireless connection for you."

She considered. "I will think about it. I like carrying him. Will Sai be able to help you rescue Haru and the others?"

He crouched down and gave her a hug. "I think he might, Su-chan."

She permitted it for a moment and then pushed him away. "You should get dressed," she reminded him.

"I have to gather together information for Sai to use," he explained as he pulled on his clothes. "That will be quickest if I do it at my desk. What would you like to do while I do that?"

Sumiko smiled. "Could I go into Haru's simulator? Sai says it's the best."

It appeared that Sai had no problem multi-tasking; he could be with Sumiko in a simulation yet still talking to Shikamaru.

"Is that your data array?" he asked as Shikamaru constructed searches for data that might be useful.

"Yes. Please stay out of it, Sai."

"I ate or destroyed all the data in the other one," Sai admitted.

Shikamaru could not help but smile. "Exactly. Do you have a sequestered area in your array into which you can put this data or should I put it all in a two by two by two and give you access?"

"A separate array," Sai replied. "Please," he added. "Sumiko insists that I say please and thank you."

"Good manners help smooth interactions between people," Shikamaru acknowledged.

"You work much more quickly and think in bigger jumps than Haru," Sai observed. "Is that because you are cleverer or because you are older and therefore have more experience?"

"Clever is not a useful descriptor of ability," Shikamaru replied. "Haru and I think differently."

"I have to go," Sai said suddenly. "Sumiko has noticed that I am doing something else at the same time as speaking to her. She does not like that. She says it is rude."

Shikamaru realised Sai had gone. He found himself smiling. At least he wasn't the only person Sumiko scolded for thinking about something else while being with her.

He wondered how she did it. It had to be an inbuilt genetic ability; Ma had been able to do it too.

He finished pouring the data into the two by two by two array and set it up so that Sai could access it.

That done, he sat back and let his mind wander. It did not go very far. It was as if he could only think in curves, never moving very far from his starting point.

Also it niggled that he hadn't thought of using data from the secondary and tertiary systems.

He suspected what was wrong. He had erected too many partitions; his conscious mind was too small to operate effectively.

Only he did not dare take them down. Behind those barriers were fear and doubt and grief.

He would think about something else; anything else. He dived into the data streams.

He began with the gossip. To his surprise, rumours had started and were spreading about the Oak, suggesting that she had been lost.

It was far too early for them to have started spontaneously; he primed seeker programmes and set them to track down the origin.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it; a package of data with no origin or destination marked 'silver bell earring'. Wary, he cloned it rather than removing it from the stream.

He was trembling as he opened it. It was a coded, written message.

"_I am safe. Do not tell anyone you have heard from me. No one. Not even her. Or him. Or him. Or him. Your shop assistant."_

He stared at it for a few moments before destroying all trace of it.

Neji had survived the kidnapping. He had sent a message.

* * *

Sasuke kept finding himself humming, which sounded ridiculously loud within his helmet. Each time it happened he stopped himself. He had always thought he hummed when he was content. How could he be content when eleven of his people were being hunted down in a system with no way out? Or when Orochimaru had eight of his people, including five of his children?

After a while, he decided it was because they were fighting back. He and Naruto had escaped from Orochimaru's trap bringing the younger children with them.

They intended to leave the children's pods and two transmitters in this system. When the Dart or the Maple arrived they would find the pods and the younger children would be safe. Hopefully Kakashi would receive their message even earlier; the transmitters that should no longer be jammed once the T1 mothership had jumped out of the system.

Once the pods and transmitters were deployed, he and Naruto would concentrate on rescuing Keizo, Yoshimi, Yasushi, Yuki, Hoshi, Rin, Gai and Akemi.

Sasuke was confident that the children's pods would be invisible to the enemy; their surfaces incorporated the best stealth technology and the signal their beacons emitted blended into the background radiation. Even so, they had decided to follow the recommended procedure and spread the pods out.

They had spent the balance of the day of the jump composing messages, prepping the transmitters and monitoring the enemy. Those on the mothership seemed to have no notion that they were harbouring stowaways: no one had tried to enter the docking bay; Naruto had not felt any vibrations that suggested that ships were docking or leaving; there was no suggestion that a weapon had been fired.

Early the next morning, they had deployed Shou's pod and one transmitter. Naomi's followed in the late afternoon. Yesterday they had launched Mai's and Tsuneo's. This morning it had been Teruko's turn.

Now they were taking the last pod and the second transmitter.

Sasuke attached the Takara's pod to Naruto and Naruto tied the transmitter to Sasuke. Then they were off.

Naruto had persuaded him to dispense with the magnetic overshoes; arguing that a neko or a minky might feel the vibration. Instead they both jumped from the platform and floated towards the hole. Sasuke had a gas gun ready to adjust his velocity as necessary.

This time he got it almost exactly right, only needing one small puff from the gun.

He was not travelling quickly and was confident that he would be able to absorb his momentum when he hit the docking bay door. Instead Naruto put out a long arm and grabbed him.

Sasuke smiled his thanks through his visor.

Next came giving Naruto something to push back against, so that the maximum possible kinetic energy ended up in the pod or the transmitter. They tied Sasuke's waist and legs tightly to the inner side of the door. Then Sasuke held Naruto's legs around his knees and made himself as rigid as he could.

Naruto flexed his whole body and sent the last of the pods flying out the hole.

Sasuke watched it go. He had expected to feel sad, but he did not. Takara was much safer drifting in space than she was either trapped in the next system or stowed away on an Akatsuki vessel.

The overwhelming sensation was relief.

They launched the transmitter, untied Sasuke and pushed off the inner side of the door. Naruto scored a direct hit on the Blossom while Sasuke had to use the gas gun to guide himself in.

With all the pods and transmitters deployed they could afford to pressurise the cabin. Sasuke watched the dials showing air pressure and quality, intending to get his helmet, goggles and gloves off as soon as possible. Three days enclosed in a suit was far too long.

Naruto was quicker. By the time Sasuke had collapsed his helmet Naruto was moving in for a kiss.

**oo******oo**

Sasuke slumped against Naruto's chest, wrapped in his arms. He was Naruto's and Naruto was his.

* * *

Haru had thought that water on a planet was a good thing. That was why he had suggested heading for the outer of the two habitable planets. It had never occurred to him that there could be too much of it.

The spectroscopic analysis was particularly worrying; it looked like the surface was 96% water.

He had one of the Lancet's telescopes permanently trained on the planet, hoping to get an image of the surface. All he had seen were clouds, which was exactly what you would expect of a warm planet with no axial tilt whose surface was almost completely covered with water.

He sighed; if the Lancet sank at least it would be harder for Orochimaru to find.

"You have to convince Dan-san to drop," Kazuki whispered from less than a handsbreadth from his ear.

Haru jumped; he hadn't heard Kazuki climbing the ladder or entering the control room.

Kazuki was looking at him with To-chan's eyes. "Kuu-chan has been down there on his own for three days," he added.

"I know," Haru admitted, even though he hated the idea of leaving the ship.

He carefully prepared his best analysis of the situation to present to Dan-san at the next meeting.

The minigate had engaged; they could pick up the carrier signal. However, it was useless in the short term because T1 was jamming transmissions in the next system. It was probably useless in the longer term because, from the Sakura's battleboard, it looked like the enemy was installing a jump field disruptor near the hole.

The Orochimaru print, or a second print, had stayed in the system when T1 jumped away. He had T2, T3 and over thirty of the small fighters. Once the jump field disruptor was complete and activated, the Orochimaru print would turn his attention to hunting them down.

With the hole blocked there was no prospect of rescue or even contact with the rest of Uchiha. Long-term, they were better off on the planet; it would be easier to hide and they wouldn't run out of supplies.

He hoped that would be enough to convince Dan-san that they should land the ship.

It turned out that Dan-san didn't even ask. Instead he announced that they were going to drop to the surface and assigned roles.

Haru's tasks were to sort out useful technology and be ready for real-time data analysis during the drop.

Kazuki's was weapons. Ran's was medical supplies. Haku-san's was food, water, clothes and shelter.

When they combined everyone's list they had far more than they could possibly carry but that was fine because Dan-san had a plan to establish supply dumps away from the ship.

Then Dan-san told them to eat and get plenty of rest; they would drop the next day.

Haru had every step of the plan playing over and over in his head: leaving their current hiding place; the dash to the planet; dropping through the outer atmosphere; hoping to find solid ground; landing; unloading the ship; setting up the supply dumps; making camp.

At least a hundred things could go wrong at each step; a thousand for some of them. He was still thinking about the possibilities during the evemeal.

"Perhaps Dan-san should give you some sleepdrug tonight, Haru-kun," Haku-san suggested.

Haru realised that Haku-san had been watching him pick at his food. "I'll be fine," he insisted and made himself eat.

He did manage to sleep; having Kazuki in the bunk above him helped.

Then Ran was shaking him awake and it was about to begin.

There wasn't time to worry or brood. He was at the communication console, Dan-san in command and Ka-chan as pilot; Ran and Haku-san had chairs in the crew room.

They were all in their suits but with helmets open and gloves off.

Dan-san had picked a time when they were shielded by one of the moons and the planet. Even so, the less time they spent between their current hiding place and getting into the clouds the better.

Dan-san activated the intercom. "This is Dan. The artificial gravity is being switched off in thirty seconds. Mark."

Haru started a thirty second countdown on the mark and checked his straps.

"No more G force that Ran-kun and Haru-kun can take, Kazu-kun," Dan-san reminded Ka-chan.

Then they were off. Haru concentrated on the displays from the scopes and the sensors, ignoring the way his body was being pulled this way and that.

Entry into the atmosphere went exactly as the simulation had suggested.

As soon as they were low enough, Haru activated the radar. The returning signals suggested water, more water and even more water.

Haru's heart was thumping in his chest. The Lancet was designed for space. It could drop but it was hardly a craft for cruising around in the atmosphere. Even Ka-chan with all his piloting skills would struggle unless they found a landing site.

"Haru?" Dan-san demanded.

"Nothing," Haru admitted.

"Head for the Snow Willow's beacon," Dan-san ordered.

It was the best option. The Snow Willow was easier to handle in the atmosphere than the Lancet; Kuuya would have had more time to find land.

There was a change in the way the radio waves were reflected; relief flooded through Haru's body. "Land," he announced. "Same heading as the beacon."

Kazuki was still flying blind as they approached the surface; the clouds been replaced by fog. Haru watched the readings. It could be much worse. The surface was solid and flat and Ka-chan was avoiding the obstacles. He had found an open area just large enough to land in.

Haru tried to work out what the obstacles were. Pillars of rock? Groups of trees?

As they settled there was a break in the fog. There, on the display screen, was a corroded hulk. And another. And another.

They were landing in an abandoned spaceport.

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	28. Scrap

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Apologies to those who have had trouble finding this new version. Welcome back! If you are over 18 and looking for the deleted scenes you will need to pm me as this site automatically obliterates all reference to the website where you can find them. Alternatively, solve this simple code 1 4 21 12 2 20 9 15 14 . 14 5 20

Thanks to donalgraeme, cynder81, mikako17, melissen and Guest (Ely) for reviewing this version and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**28: Scrap**

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They were landing at an abandoned spaceport on a planet that, according to the records, had never been visited, never mind explored or settled.

Kazuki twitched his whiskers. "It could be worse," he commented as he finished off the landing manoeuvre. "It could be an active spaceport."

It was a good point. "Or an Akatsuki base," Haru suggested.

"The ship will be less obvious," Dan-san added, "which is good. Great work with the landing, Kazu-kun. Haru-kun, start the environmental checks."

Haru activated the sensors and scanned the console for information: the gravitational field was a fiftth above the norm at 1.2 G; the planetary day was almost twice a ship's day in length; the temperature was just below ship's standard but rising slowly; the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere was slightly high at 36%.

Something hit the shell of the ship. Kazuki was ears-pricked, tail-fluffed and whiskers-high. Another vibration followed and then another.

Kazuki was unbuckling. "That's long-short. It's Kuu-chan."

Haru connected the camera above the small airlock to a display. Trouble was, the Lancet was designed to be docked; the airlock was one third up its height and whoever was banging on the ship would be on the ground.

There were five more knocks; it was definitely long-short.

"So much for environmental checks," Dan-san murmured. "Haru, pressurise the small airlock from the atmosphere and unlock the outer door only." He activated the intercom. "This is Dan. We are safely down and running checks but the knocking sounds like Kuuya-kun, so we'll be keeping them to a minimum." He released the intercom and turned to Haru. "Activate the intercom in the lock."

Kazuki yelped an alert as Kuuya came into view, climbing the emergency access handholds.

Somehow he managed to hold on using his feet and one hand while opening the lock with the other. Then he swung himself inside and slammed the lock shut behind him.

Haru switched to the camera in the airlock. Kuuya was filthy but otherwise looked fine; he was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet with agitation.

"This is Dan. Report please, Kuuya-kun."

"_This is Kuuya. In the day people come. They're after metal. In the night the crocodiles come. They're after food. The people started cutting bits off the Snow Willow the first morning and they took the last bits of the shell away yesterday. I know where you can hide the Lancet."_

Haru's imagination exploded. Who were 'they'? How primitive were they if they cut up a state-of-the-art spacecraft like the Snow Willow for scrap?

Kazuki growled. "He should have zapped a few of them with a laser."

Haru wondered if Ka-chan meant the people or the crocodiles.

Dan-san scowled his displeasure at Ka-chan, who dipped his ears in submission. "This is Dan. How long do you think we have before the people arrive?"

"_This is Kuuya. About a hundred and fifty minutes. I think they leave wherever they live at dawn. That's when the crocodiles leave."_

"Have you encountered any health issues?"

"_There are biting insects and leeches and plants that give you a rash but my nanobots are coping fine. Dan-san, we need to hurry. Maybe the people came that first day because they heard the Snow Willow landing."_

Dan studied the results of the first batch of checks. "Haru-kun, open the inner lock."

Kuuya was in the control room within a minute. He was filthy and smelt strange, even to Haru. Kazuki wrinkled his nose but it didn't stop him leaping across the room and giving Kuu-chan a hug.

"So where are you suggesting we hide a spaceship?" Dan asked.

"There are pits," Kuuya replied. "Maybe they were for maintenance. Anyway, I found one that is about the right size and wasn't filled with stuff that couldn't be chopped up or burned. I've worked on it when I wasn't hiding from the wreckers or hiding stuff from the Snow Willow. Ka-chan can land the Lancet in it easily and then we can think about how to hide it, or keep them out, or both."

Dan-san grimaced. "It'll use a lot of rocket fuel. I suppose they took the fuel from the Snow Willow?"

Kuuya shook his head. "They just took the shell; they seemed wary of touching anything else."

"Why did you let them?" Ka-chan demanded.

Kuuya gave him a look worthy of To-chan. "If I'd switched on the active defences I might have killed them. What would that have led too?"

"Kuuya-kun, how sure are you that Kazuki can successfully get the ship into the pit?" Dan-san asked.

Kuuya considered. "100%, Dan-san."

"Then we do that now. Haru-kun, down to the crew room, warn Ran-kun and Haku-san and get yourself settled in for lift and drop.

Haru stood up. He could feel the extra weight, even if it was only another one-fifth. He slid down the ladder and entered the crew room.

"We're moving the ship," he announced.

Haku-san began setting up a bunk as an acceleration couch. "Adapt my chair for you," Haru-kun," he instructed.

Ran helped him. The three of them were strapped in and ready well before Dan-san asked them to report.

Moving a space ship such a short distance would have been tricky for most pilots but not Ka-chan; they were soon settled into their new berth.

The intercom clicked. _"This is Dan. Meeting in the control room at once please."_

They decided that the priority was a perimeter around the top of the pit. Haru immediately suggested a sensor net, found one in the Lancet's inventory, modelled how it would operate and displayed the result on the screen. Kuuya and Kazuki assured Dan-san that they could install it.

Dan-san shook his head, which Haru found a little worrying, but then he smiled. "That's what comes from being trained by Itachi-san for four standards using Shika-san's simulations," he observed. "Kuuya-kun and Kazuki-kun will install the sensor net. Haru-kun, can you sort out some wireless camera with transmitters that we can monitor from here or from a mobile device?"

Haru considered and consulted the inventory, "Yes,"

"We shall place them in various places so that we can monitor approaches," Dan explained. "Given the terrain and the presence of natives, we may have to review our plan to live away from the ship. However, the priority is to get the sensor net and the cameras operational. Once that is done, we will reconvene the meeting. We need everyone outside fitted with radios. Haku-san, please could you see to that."

Haku-san, Ran, Kazuki and Kuuya went to the storage hold while Haru set up to work on the galley table and Dan kept watch in the control room.

Once Ran had arrived with the components, Haru donned his magnifying goggles and settled down to work. Ran watched him for a few minutes and then began arranging the parts in groups according to what went with each camera.

"Kuuya says that the people are hybrids," Ran volunteered. "Probably not mammalian or avian."

That made sense to Haru. If they had been adapted for this planet they were probably fish-human or amphibian-human. "I wonder how they got here and when?"

"No idea," Ran replied. He smiled. "I expect you have some."

Haru felt himself flush. "If this is the only spaceport, or the others are like this, then they have been here a long time. If so, either they are a breeding population, like some of the Fuma cat-human hybrids, or they still have enough technology to generate embryos and gestate them, which seems unlikely."

"They may have kept that technology going, even if they let everything else go," Ran pointed out. He peered at what Haru was assembling. "Power cells rather than solar collectors?" he queried.

"Between the longer nights and the clouds, I don't think the solar collectors will hack it. Anyway, the device will be smaller with a power cell." He rolled one of the cameras this way and that between his thumb and first finger. "They switch to infra red when there isn't enough visible light available."

They settled into a pattern where Ran made the straightforward connections and Haru the tricky ones. The nine cameras Dan-san had specified were soon ready, along with two backups.

Ran collected them up and went to report to Dan-san. Haru began work on the mobile receiver, recorder and display, even though that wouldn't be required unless they left the ship.

It wasn't easily; the components hadn't been designed to work together so he was having to be creative about the connections.

"Would you like a drink or something to eat, Haru-kun?"

Haru jumped and looked up; Haku-san looked really weird through his magnifiers. "I'm sorry about the mess, Haku-san." It was a reflex response to being caught doing something he shouldn't in the kitchen or galley.

"It is fine, Haru-kun, There is no other suitable surface. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Haru was trying to think of something when the intercom clicked.

"_This is Dan. Haru to the control room please."_

Haru took off his goggles, laid them on the table and stood up.

"Go," Haku-san encouraged.

Dan-san was preparing to join Kuuya and Kazuki outside and wanted Haru in the control room to check each camera as it was being located and activated.

Haru kept his sigh until Dan-san had left. As much as he had hated the idea of living in a swamp, Haru would have liked to be allowed outside at least once.

That did not seem likely. Having a hiding place for the Lancet reduced the chance that the Orochimaru print would find it while the presence the natives and crocodiles increased the risks associated with leaving the ship. He imagined living on the Lancet in a pit until Papa and To-chan arrived to rescue them. How long would that be? Divs? Standards?

He dismissed the thought; they had natives to deal with and an Orochimaru print to avoid.

At least being in the control room meant that he could listen into the radio channels Dan-san, Kazuki and Kuuya were using.

The security net was working well; Haru monitored Kuuya, Dan-san and Kazuki as they left the pit. Then he brought up all the data he had about the surroundings and integrated it to make a map; it wasn't complete but the data from the cameras would help once they were operational.

He listened to Dan-san asking Kazuki if he could climb something. Next thing, Haru was receiving a feed from one of the cameras. He connected it to a display and got a close-up of Kazuki.

"_You there, Haru?"_

Haru activated his microphone. "Yes."

"_Would a panoramic view help?"_

"Thanks, Ka-chan."

Kazuki slowly scanned the surroundings before fixing the camera in the direction and at the angle that Dan-san had specified. Haru thought that he could make out the Snow Willow; what remained did not look much like a spaceship.

He processed the images, extracting as much data as possible, intent on improving his map.

Each camera operated perfectly as it was added into the network. Between new sets of images, Haru occupied himself by creating a user interface that made it easier to monitor the cameras and the net.

Then Kazuki thought of strapping the extra cameras to his and Kuu-chan's heads. Haru chuckled and gave them each a dedicated feed, labelling one Ka-cam and the other Kuu-cam.

They needed more displays; three wasn't enough to monitor eleven cameras. He checked the inventory and began thinking about what he could cobble together.

He was about halfway through the design when Kazuki gave a small growl that ended in a yelp.

Haru knew that sound; it was the kits' alert call for strangers.

"_This is Dan. Back to the ship. Make sure you aren't seen."_

Haru cycled through the camera feeds until he found the one showing the natives. There were three large figures and one smaller. It was difficult to get any idea of scale but he thought the larger people were big; Kisame-sized big.

He activated the intercom. "This is Haru. Natives have been sighted. Dan-san, Kazuki and Kuuya are on their way back. I can see the natives using the cameras."

The three large ones were pulling what looked like flat bottomed boats. Strangely the boats were full. Surely wreckers arrived with empty boats and left with full ones?

Ran arrived and took one of the two unoccupied chairs.

"Haku-san is staying at the airlock until everyone is in," he explained.

Haru nodded. Feedback from the net showed three figures entering the pit in quick succession.

"They are very colourful," Ran observed.

Haru turned his attention back to the display showing the feed from the camera. They were either mostly naked or wearing very tight-fitting body suits; it was impossible to tell which because the camera was too far away.

They moved out of one camera's field of view and into another. The figures had stopped about fifteen paces from the remains of the Snow Willow. They were lining up the boats side by side.

He felt the airlock open and shut. Next thing he knew, Ka-chan and Kuu-chan were in the control room, their eyes fixed to the display.

"The maroon one with the blue head wasn't with them last time," Kuuya told them.

The smaller figure was, now that Haru thought about it, exactly the shade of his plushie; the colour Haku-san called maroon.

"Are they wearing clothes?" Kazuki asked.

"Just some tight-fitting pants," Kuuya replied.

Haru enlarged the image. The definition wasn't very good but you could see that they were wearing skin-tight, low slung shorts.

"Nice skin colours. Look at those patterns," Kazuki pointed out. "Wouldn't like not to have fur though."

They did look hairless. Ka-chan was right though, the patterns on their skins were neat.

Then Dan-san arrived with Haku-san following. The kits and Ran sat on the floor so that they could sit down.

"What are they doing?" Haku-san asked.

All six of them studied the display. They were pulling away a covering from the first boat.

Inside were pieces of the Snow Willow's shell.

Dan-san leaned back and smiled. "I see," he said.

"I don't," Kazuki admitted.

Neither did Haru.

"I think I do," Haku-san volunteered. "A hunting or gathering party goes out. They find metal. Metal is scarce. They take it back in triumph. Only when they tell their story, someone else connects the dots, realises it is from a newly-landed spacecraft and orders them to take it back."

Haku-san's suggestion made sense to Haru. If one of their crews made a mistake like that, Papa would send them back to sort it out, especially if To-chan had a say in the decision.

They watched for a while. All four figures were now sitting cross legged, facing the remains of the Snow Willow. It definitely looked like they were waiting.

"We need to get on with these people," Kuuya pointed out. "Uchiha might officially own the planet, but they live on it."

"We don't want to be fighting on two fronts," Kazuki added. "And Kuu-chan made a good start by not zapping them."

Dan-san nodded. "Kuuya, Ran and I will go out there and try to make contact. Ran-kun, I'm including you because you might be able to pick something up about their intentions. Kuu-kun, if it goes wrong you are responsible for protecting Ran-kun and getting him to safety."

Haru stiffened. He didn't like the idea of Ran being in danger; the bigger ones had to be massively strong if they could pull the loaded boats.

Too soon for Haru, the three of them had left the ship. Kuuya still had a camera with him; this time mounted on his shoulder rather than strapped to his head. All three of them were wearing microphones to pick up ambient sound as well as their usual throat mikes.

Haru intended to record everything in case there were language difficulties.

He gave one display over to the Kuu-cam and another to whatever camera showed the three of them walking across the spaceport. The third showed the natives.

"I wish I were out there," Kazuki muttered.

Haru did and didn't. He wished Ran wasn't out there.

The natives stood as Dan-san, Kuuya and Ran approached. Haru swallowed. The smaller one was as tall as Dan-san. The larger ones were considerably bigger; thinking that they were Kisame-sized had been an underestimate.

Close-up, the colours and patterns of their skins were amazing.

Dan-san led their delegation to a place between the Snow Willow and the boats and sat down. Kuuya sat to his right and Ran to his left.

The natives sat down again, which was a relief.

They spoke first, or rather the big blue-green one did. It was very fast and included many noises that Haru did not recognise as words.

Dan-san responded by pointing to himself. _"Dan,"_ he said clearly. He pointed at Ran and then Kuuya, naming them.

The big blue-green one nodded, which was interesting. Maybe nodding was universal. He pointed to himself. _"Gamahiro_._"_ He then pointed to the smaller one who was mostly plushie-coloured but had a blue scalp and blue around his eyes. _"Kosuke."_

The big rusty-coloured one was Gamabunta and the big purple-pink one was Gamaken.

Haru wondered why three of their names started with Gama while the fourth didn't; maybe Gama meant big.

"Gama means toad in the old language," Kazuki pointed out.

Haru glanced over at him.

Kazuki shrugged. "Some story I read. So they are toad-human hybrids."

Haru opened his mouth to reply only to be distracted; the maroon and blue one, Kosuke, was speaking.

"_I a speaker of the old way am. We a tribe of the Gama are."_ He stopped and waited.

Dan-san nodded. _"We are a small part of the tribe called Uchiha."_

Gamahiro said something quick with lots of croaks. Haru guessed it was 'What's he saying?' Kosuke responded in kind and then turned back to Dan-san.

"_Question. Uchiha tribe between planets go?"_

"_The Uchiha tribe travels between the stars,"_ Dan-san answered.

There was another quick exchange in the croaky language. It looked like Kosuke did not want to ask the next question, but Gamabunta insisted.

"_Question. Uchiha masters are?"_

Haru's heart beat a little faster. It was a crucial question. He could tell.

"_No masters," _Dan-san answered. _"No slaves."_ He pointed to himself and then to the toad-human hybrids and then to Kuuya and Ran. _"Not masters. Not slaves."_

It seemed to be an acceptable answer; all the toad hybrids relaxed a little.

They then talked about the Snow Willow. It took a long time. Gamahiro offered the metal back and Dan-san explained that they could not use it because they did not have a metal-worker with them. Next, Dan-san offered it as a gift only to have Gamahiro politely refuse it as being too valuable.

"They were willing to steal it," Kazuki observed.

"Scavenging is not stealing," Haru-san pointed out.

The conversation then rambled a little. The gist of it was that the metal was too valuable to leave unguarded; other tribes might come looking for scrap and find it.

Then, unexpectedly, Gamahiro invited them to stay with the tribe.

There were three taps on Dan-san's microphone; he was asking them for their opinions. Meanwhile, he played for time by trading pleasantries.

There were two clicks from Ran; a swift and categoric affirmative. Haru wondered why Ran felt so positive about the toad hybrids; perhaps they emitted their emotions particularly strongly.

Haku-san went next. "It is closer to what we had planned," he pointed out. "If the Akatsuki drop here, which is likely, they will find the Lancet and us in it."

"Having locals as allies will make us more difficult to find," Kazuki added. "Only maybe we should tell them that they are going to have the Orochimaru print after them."

Haru waited for Kuuya's response to no avail. He took a deep breath. He had to commit. "I agree with Haku-san and Kazuki. We are better off anywhere but here because the Akatsuki will land here. Given what the terrain is like, we will need the locals to guide us."

Then Kuuya's response came in long-short. _"The crocodiles are huge. We should accept."_

Haru tried to concentrate on the next exchange between Dan-san and Gamahiro but he was distracted by the possibility of leaving the ship. It did not help that communicating with the toad hybrids was slow and difficult.

He wished he could think in parallel, like Shi-chan.

Dan-san had raised the issue of pursuers. The toad hybrids laughed at the notion that outsiders would be able to find the tribe's home.

Then they talked about the Snow Willow and Gamahiro agreed to help them conceal what remained.

Finally Dan-san admitted that there were another three people in hiding. Gamahiro appeared unconcerned and told them that they needed to leave early that afternoon.

Which, Haru reminded himself, would feel like the middle of the night because the days were twice as long.

Haru stayed on watch while those outside helped move the Snow Willow, Haku-san prepared a meal and Kazuki set up an extra layer of automated defence for the Lancet.

It was fascinating how the toad hybrids built and used simple machines. Even so, it was over a hundred minutes before they finished.

"_This is Dan-san. We're on our way back. Haru-kun, set the surveillance to automatic and relay the console display to a tablet. Haku-san, I would like us to eat together."_

"_This is Haku. The meal is ready. Kuuya-kun, you will need a shower before coming to the galley."_

Haru waited until everyone was in, set the security systems, shoved the tablet into the one of his pockets and slid down the ladder.

Kazuki was already at the table in the galley looking hopeful. Kuuya was in the shower. Ran was loading Kuuya's clothes into the cleaner. Haru propped the tablet where they could keep an eye on it, washed his hands and helped relay the food to the table.

Dan-san and Ran took their places, followed quickly by Kuuya wearing a robe.

"You have got your pack?" Haku-san checked.

Kuu-chan nodded. "Hidden."

Dan-san waited until Kazuki and Kuuya had demolished their first plates of food and were on seconds; otherwise they had a tendency to be distracted.

"Thoughts," he requested. "You first, Ran-kun."

"I can feel their emotions, even at the distance we were from them," Ran admitted. "I've come across the odd person like that, but not four at a time, so I'm guessing it is a breed characteristic. They are nice." He frowned and Haru could see that he was struggling to put it into words. "Choza-nice," he decided.

"That is a relief," Dan-san admitted. "Kuuya-kun?"

Kuuya reluctantly put down his fork. "They were probably nice the other times too. Who knows, if I had dared speak to them they might not have cut up the Snow Willow."

"Don't worry about it, Kuuya-kun," Dan-san suggested. "Being magnanimous about it gave us a great starting point. Kazuki-kun?"

Kazuki stopped eating. "We'll need to get them to make some 'Danger Keep Out' signs to put around the pit. If a toad hybrid stumbles in by mistake he'll get fried. I've already made Uchiha ones," he added and went back to his food.

"Haru-kun?" Dan-san asked.

Haru had one eye on the tablet relaying information from the control room and the other on Haku-san. He knew that Haku-san was not going to let him leave the table until he had cleared his plate. "We're taking a lot of stuff. Do you think they will be all right with that?"

"I hope so," Dan-san replied. "Haku-san?"

"It could be much worse," Haku-san acknowledged.

Haku-san did not only insist that he finish his food, he also ordered Haru to have a nap. Haru didn't argue; he knew he would lose and, anyway, he was tired.

He went into the crew room. To his surprise Kuuya was already curled up, fast asleep, on the bunk that Haku-san had used as an acceleration couch.

Kazuki was pulling down another bunk from its storage position. "Want to share?"

"Thanks," Haru accepted, grateful for the offer of some physical contact.

They laid down side by side and Kazuki pulled the cover over both of them.

"I like this too," he confessed. "I always went looking for you, not the other way around. Kiba-san was right; I needed to move on and become more independent. Otherwise I would always be a part and not a whole."

Haru blinked back sudden tears. He had never seen it that way. To him Kazuki had been growing up and leaving him behind. "Littermates," he whispered.

"Always," Kazuki replied. "Who knows? If you and Ran end up as lovers, we could be best friends."

Haru turned his head to see Ka-chan looking back at him. "Isn't brothers and littermates more than best friends?"

"No, because those are facts and best friends is a choice."

Suddenly Haru saw it from Ka-chan's point of view. Hoshi and Yuki were best friends, as were Ya-chan and Yo-chan. Hikaru was Ryuu's best friend; Haru couldn't imagine anyone else other than Ryuu putting up with him.

Of the eight of them who had been paired up since they were babies, only Haru had picked someone else as his best friend. He had chosen Ran.

"I'm sorry."

Kazuki twitched his whiskers. "For what?"

"For having Ran as a best friend."

"Don't be. He was so lonely he didn't know it and you responded to that. It was a good thing. Otherwise you could have ended up as selfish as Hi-chan."

"I'm nothing like Hi-chan," Haru objected.

"Bits of you are just like him."

Haru wondered if that was true. "I am me, he is him," he insisted.

"And I am me, which is a bit scary," Kazuki admitted. "Sometimes I think Ya-chan and Yo-chan have got it right."

Haru waited.

"They were born together and they live together and they'll get old together and die together. They will save themselves and other people a lot of pain that way."

They were on the edge of forbidden territory. It was their one taboo; none of them ever talked about fox hybrids only living a third as long as purebreds.

"Those other people will miss a lot of joy," Haru replied, thinking of Papa and To-chan.

"Maybe," Ka-chan conceded. "We'll see if it's worth it in ten standards' time."

It was a chilling thought. Would Papa cope when To-chan died? Haru wasn't sure what he would do if Papa fell apart. Or worse; he wasn't going to think about 'worse'.

"I wanted to kill him. Preferably the real one, but I'd have made do with a print."

It took a moment for Haru to catch up; Ka-chan was talking about Orochimaru. "You still may get your chance," he suggested.

"Not me. He is not interested in me. I have ears and a tail. One of the others might get close enough. Maybe Yu-chan. He looks so sweet."

Haru imagined it. "You've talked about it?"

"Yes, ever since we realised that he wanted us rather than To-chan because he wanted to bond us to him like To-chan is bonded to Papa." Ka-chan shuddered before looking his most fierce. "As if any of us would ever let that happen."

Haru could imagine scenarios where there wasn't a better choice, but he kept those to himself. He decided to change the subject. "We're going on an adventure."

Kazuki grinned. "With huge, brightly-coloured toad-hybrids who are nice like Choza."

They talked about that instead, chasing away thoughts of Orochimaru or Papa without To-chan. Haru painted pictures with words, like Shi-chan, and Kazuki groomed him, like To-chan.

Gradually Haru's words dwindled and his thoughts drifted into sleep.

* * *

.


	29. Decision

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to donalgraeme, cynder81, mikako17, melissen, Guest (Ely) and Squirrley for reviewing this version and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**29: Decision**

* * *

.

* * *

Madara hit and kicked until he was too exhausted to plan and execute even one more blow.

Taking his body to its limits helped, but no dummy could substitute for a flesh and blood victim.

Sumaru had offered to spar but Madara's pride would not allow it. Even without his symbiote activated, the youngster would be holding back. Anyway, a spar was not what Madara wanted. He wanted to feel flesh bruising beneath his fingers; to see the look in their eyes when they realised that they were at his mercy.

He entered the decadent bathroom, showered away the sweat and then sank into the deep tub. He wondered what would happen if he asked for a steam room. Doubtless it would appear, as had the bathroom and every other luxury he had requested.

Initially he had relished their responsiveness. It had confirmed Uchiha's wealth and his status. Now he wondered. Had they been merely placating him? Did they see it like giving sweetmeats to a greedy child?

It was possible. Sasuke's household was ridiculously plain; even his bedroom.

Madara had sneaked a look when no one was about. He did not know what he expected; not a room barely larger than the bed it contained. If it had not been for the crest on the wall, he would have wondered if he was in the correct place.

Within the simplicity was a message for any observer to read. Wealth was irrelevant. Belongings were merely things. It was people who mattered.

Sasuke Uchiha had lived surrounded by people he loved and who loved him.

Like Izuna.

Madara sneered. Izuna and Sasuke were correct that people were more important than belongings or even wealth. They were wrong in thinking that those people should love the person who led them.

They should be in awe of their leader and if that awe strayed into worship, so be it.

He leaned back, running over the plan and its developments. On the positive side: there was no word from the Oak, Neji was gone; he was leading Uchiha; Shikamaru had given him a fortune. On the negative side: Hikaru had not been on the Oak. In the zone between were Orochimaru's silence, the lack of response from the Hyuga and Shikamaru.

Shikamaru was acting as if Madara had never hit him. He said that he remembered nothing after transferring the credit from his account into Belmenth tokens. He had apologised for any 'inappropriate behaviour' while he was 'unwell'.

Madara was not sure what to think. However, it was difficult to escape the fact that Shikamaru had vomited rather than endure his touch.

The business with the Hyuga was concerning. There had been five steps in the plan: one, Neji kidnapped by Orochimaru's minions; two, Neji handed over to the Hyuga; three, Uchiha sent evidence of Neji's death by the Hyuga; four, Uchiha threatening to retaliate; five, the Hyuga offering the long-term contract as compensation.

According to Karin, Neji's damaged, unconscious but still breathing body had been handed over to the Hyuga. However, that was as far as the plan had progressed.

He required evidence, real or fabricated, that Neji was dead. Without it, he was struggling to push Shikamaru over the edge.

Eight days was too long; it was time to cut out the go-between and negotiate directly.

He left the bath, scrubbed away the excess water with a towel, dried himself using the blowers and dressed. Once at Izuna's desk, he activated the intercom.

"This is Izuna. Shikamaru, Sumaru and refreshments to my office."

Sumaru appeared almost immediately. Madara ran over the schedule for the day. Partway through Keitaro entered with a tray, made tea and then went about his duties cleaning the other rooms.

Finally Shikamaru arrived. He refused coffee, poured himself a cup of tea and sat in his usual place.

"I am convinced that the Hyuga are responsible for taking Neji-san," Madara began.

"That is one possibility, Izuna-sama," Shikamaru agreed.

"It is the one we will pursue. I intend to issue a statement to that effect. I shall then offer the local Hyuga representative the opportunity for a meeting."

Shikamaru put down his cup. "Maybe we should contact the Hyuga representative first, Izuna-sama," he suggested. "And only involve the media if the Hyuga are unresponsive."

Madara considered Shikamaru's proposal. There were advantages to avoiding a public confrontation. "Very well, Shikamaru-san. Sumaru-san, please go now and set up a meeting as soon as possible."

Sumaru left and Madara waited. Sooner or later Shikamaru would stop staring into his tea and look up.

As soon as Shikamaru lifted his gaze, he pounced. "I am worried about you, Shikamaru-san."

Shikamaru did not respond.

Madara suppressed his annoyance; he would not be ignored. "Your lover has been abducted and many members of your family are lost, yet you seem little affected," he challenged.

It worked, Shikamaru's behaviour changed. Madara could not put his finger on it. It was as if every part of him was telling a different story. His body language said one thing, his movements another, his words a third and his eyes...

His eyes reminded Madara that this was no ordinary man.

"They are not lost, they are overdue," Shikamaru stated. "As for Neji, I shall think the best until I learn otherwise."

His voice had started to shake when he spoke of Neji. Madara pushed again. Maybe, this time, Shikamaru would crack. "But no news, not even any demands. It is time to be realistic, Shikamaru-san."

Shikamaru looked through him rather than at him. "I am not a realistic person, Izuna-sama. Realism is not a typed-seven genius trait. In fact the opposite. Retreating from reality is very much a characteristic of typed-seven geniuses."

For one brief moment, Madara wondered if Shikamaru had it in him to be dangerous.

He dismissed the thought. Shikamaru was physically weak and emotionally fragile. He had just admitted that his grasp on sanity was tenuous.

All Madara required was evidence, real or fabricated, that Neji was dead and he intended to push the Hyuga into providing it.

"I did not mean to upset you, Shikamaru-san," he lied.

* * *

.

* * *

Shikamaru was angry. He caught the unfamiliar emotion, twisted it up into a knot and thrust it away.

"Is there anything else you require, Izuna-sama?" he asked.

Izuna's eyes hardened. "No, Shikamaru-san. I shall expect to see you on time at the briefing this afternoon."

Shikamaru stood, bowed and was out the door before Izuna could change his mind.

He leaned on the wall of the corridor. He knew that Izuna was manipulating him. Usually that knowledge was enough to protect him but not today.

Izuna had paraded the prospect of his loved ones' deaths before him. If he had not known Neji was safe, he might have lost control.

Which was doubtless what Izuna had wanted.

He checked his chronometer; there was only a short time left before the midday meal so he set off to find Sumiko.

She was with Konan, Hana and Nagato in hydroponics. Shikamaru sat down on a bench and watched her until she noticed him and rushed over to subject him to a detailed lecture about tomato genetics.

"Would you and Su-chan like to eat with us, Shikamaru-san?" Konan asked when Sumiko paused for breath.

"That would be nice but Choza-san is expecting us," Shikamaru replied.

"Next time," Konan suggested. "Su-chan, remember that we are expecting you for a sleepover this evening. Nagato-chan is looking forward to it and Hana-san has a special meal planned."

"That sounds fun," Shikamaru acknowledged, thankful for the reminder. "Is there anything else you need to do here before we go, Su-chan?"

Sumiko hurried about giving her plants a last check while Shikamaru admired Nagato's flowers. Then Su-chan told him more about her plan to breed a new variety of tomato as they walked to the kitchen.

Shikamaru decided not to mention that it would be a great deal less effort if she used genetic engineering and a computer model that predicted taste and appearance.

Sumaru was finishing eating and Choza was adding the final dishes to Izuna's tray.

Shikamaru noticed that Sumaru was taking it, even though Keitaro was available.

"How did you get on arranging a meeting between Izuna-sama and the Hyuga representative?" he asked.

"Kono-san dealt with it," Sumaru answered. "The meeting is scheduled for this afternoon, after the briefing, at the headquarters."

Shikamaru was intrigued; the Hyuga usually made a point of not coming when someone called.

Sumaru left with the tray and others arrived. They chatted, catching up with developments; the midday meal was a time they could get together without Izuna's suffocating presence.

Konohamaru and Kamatari entered as Biwako left with Sumiko.

"Sumaru-san mentioned the meeting with the Hyuga representative," Shikamaru mentioned, hoping for more detail.

Konohamaru frowned. "Yes, she asked about you. Seemed disappointed when I said you were not going to be there."

Shikamaru had thought that the Hyuga representative was male. "She?"

"Yes, apparently they switched back to the previous one, didn't you know?"

Shikamaru's spirits lifted. The previous Hyuga representative had been Hinata; Neji's cousin. New possibilities opened up, some of which made sense of the message he had found bobbing in the data streams. "No, I thought they weren't allowed to stay in any one place for more than five standards."

"Apparently they can come back after five standards away. I can't imagine Izuna-sama walking Hyuga-san out," Konohamaru hinted.

Shikamaru nodded and swiftly finished his meal; there were things he needed to do.

The briefing followed its usual, stultifying pattern. Moegi repeated her recommendation that Asuma be detanked and fitted with regens. Izuna ordered her to continue with the current treatment. Konohamaru brought up the rumours that the Oak had been lost. Izuna stated that he intended to make a statement to the media.

Shikamaru imagined him playing Uchiha-sama and suppressed a shudder. "It is only ten days, Izuna-sama. Perhaps we should wait until the Dart reaches their last known position and reports in? It's only another three days."

Izuna's eyes bored into him. "There is some merit in that suggestion, Shikamaru-san. I shall consider it."

Then, suddenly, the briefing was over. There had been no mention of Neji or the meeting with the Hyuga.

Shikamaru waited until Izuna had a ten minute start and then made his way to the headquarters. He did not want to take the risk of missing Hinata; if the meeting between her and Izuna went badly it could be extremely brief.

The USF personnel on duty were surprised to see him. Shikamaru just hoped that Izuna's tendency to ignore minions included the guards. If not, one of them might mention his presence and he would have to come up with a believable excuse.

He found a quiet side corridor and lurked in a doorway.

Footsteps; he leaned forward and was rewarded by a glimpse of Kamatari's fur. Hinata must have really annoyed Izuna; offering a hybrid as escort would have been meant as an insult.

Kamatari slowed as they approached and gestured towards the side corridor. "There is someone who would like to speak with you, Hyuga-san."

Of course Kamatari had heard him.

"Shikamaru-san," Hinata acknowledged with, if not a smile, a sparkle in her eyes.

Shikamaru bowed. "Hinata-san."

"I'll keep watch," Kamatari offered.

They moved some way down the corridor before standing, less than two paces apart, looking at each other. Shikamaru decided to make the first move. He held out a Belmenth credit token.

"A petacredit," he told her. "If you want more, just say."

"What is this for, Shikamaru-san?" she asked but she took it from him.

"I thought you might need it," Shikamaru admitted. "Do you know where he is?"

She gave the slightest nod.

"And he's safe?"

Another nod.

"You didn't tell Izuna?"

She shook her head. "He thinks the Hyuga have him and I allowed him to continue with that misapprehension," she whispered. "Someone contacted me. I was offered Neji in return for the services of a Hyuga."

Possibilities exploded in Shikamaru's mind. "Who?"

"I do not know. I thought it might be Sasuke-sama."

Shikamaru scowled. "Why would he? He turned down that option and better ones."

"I know, but people change." She studied him with Neji's eyes. "I wondered if Sasuke-sama wanted to get rid of him without your knowledge."

"Never," Shikamaru insisted.

"That was what Neji said when he came out of the tank."

Shikamaru's composure faltered. Why had Neji been tanked? Was he hurt?

A gentle touch on his arm. "He is fine now, almost fully recovered. Neji also told me that the Oak is overdue and insisted on sending you a message."

"I got it." Some of the pieces began coming together. "If other Hyuga find out what you have done..."

"They will. Whoever is expecting to receive that contract will see to it." She moved her hand, attracting his attention to the token. "Which is why I shall accept this."

Shikamaru made a decision and brought the data chip from his pocket. "Here. Neji will know how to use the information." He hesitated but pushed on; he had to know. "Were you contacted after the kidnapping or before?"

"Before, Shikamaru-san."

He swallowed. He had believed that Izuna was the intended target and Neji's kidnapping opportunistic.

The majority of the possibilities he had been considering fizzled away.

"You will not tell Izuna Uchiha," Hinata stated.

Shikamaru did not hesitate. "I shall not."

"Good. He is not trustworthy, Shikamaru-san. His words are completely at odds with his intent."

He blinked; that was blunt.

"The question you should be asking yourself is whether he is taking advantage of circumstances or whether he had a role in creating them."

His head was spinning. He took refuge in politeness and bowed. "Hinata-san."

She bowed in return and turned to go.

"Tell him we miss him terribly," Shikamaru added. He hesitated but committed. "Tell him I love him," he said to her retreating back.

Shikamaru retreated into a doorway and stood there trembling. He had crossed the line. There was no interpretation of his oath that did not require him to report Neji's whereabouts.

But Neji had warned him to tell no one.

He collected himself and began making his way back to the household. If challenged, he would say that he had wanted to catch sight of the Hyuga to determine if she was the same person who had negotiated with Sasuke-sama twelve standards ago.

Not that anyone other than Izuna would think to question his reason for being there.

Izuna; Hinata's assessment had fuelled the doubts that Naruto had planted. What was it she had said? Her best scenario was that he was taking advantage of their misfortune to take over Uchiha. The worst...

Could he have had a role in instigating Neji's kidnapping? Was that possible?

No; Izuna had been in a pod for a thousand standards. He had only contacted a few outsiders since he had woken and that had been via whoever had been in duty in communications.

Anyway, Hinata's best scenario was bad enough. If Sasuke was lost, Izuna would claim the position of Uchiha-sama.

It was difficult to see how he would be unsuccessful. Hikaru was too young and had never been recognised as heir. Izuna was a full blood, adult Uchiha with leadership experience. He had never been declared dead, so qualified for consideration. Worse, if the spacer code was interpreted literally, he had never ceased to be Uchiha-sama and all the clan leaders who had followed him had been merely holding his place until he should return.

Which would not have been so bad if he had been the Izuna Uchiha of legend, but he was not. He was, as Hinata had pointed out, untrustworthy.

Shikamaru let himself into the household. He needed to find somewhere he could think undisturbed. He decided on Haru's simulator; from there he could access all his systems, even the data streams.

Sai was there as soon as he activated the interface.

Shikamaru treated Sai like he would Haru or Kazuki. "It is good to see you, Sai-kun, but I was hoping to use the simulator as an interface to do some work."

"It is good to see you too, Shikamaru-san. I am with Sumiko."

"You concentrate on Su-chan. We can talk later."

The Sai avatar vanished. Shikamaru smiled, imagining Sai trying to avoid the telling-off Sumiko would give him if she caught him multitasking.

He called up the simulation of his birch woods on the Oak because that would relax him. He had decided to start his thoughts in a new place. He would assume that Izuna had been planning on regaining his position as Uchiha-sama from the moment he recovered from his regression.

Or maybe even before that. By pretending to be harmless and needy, Izuna had managed to collect the information he had required to manipulate them, particularly Sasuke.

Izuna would have crafted every word and every action. Sasuke would have seen what Izuna had wanted him to see: the hero; the legend; the man Sasuke wanted his own father to have been.

It had worked; even Naruto had decided not to question Sasuke's hero-worship.

Shikamaru took a deep breath. Enough of the past; he should be concentrating on the mess they were in rather than the mess that should have been avoided.

There were two main scenarios.

If Sasuke was lost, they were in deep trouble. Izuna would establish himself as Uchiha-sama. Once that happened, the only ways out required Izuna's death.

Even thinking that was treachery. Truth was, Shikamaru realised, he did not care.

It was a liberating moment.

If Sasuke came home, the situation was still complex. Izuna had a legitimate claim to be Uchiha-sama and Sasuke, who was honourable to his very core, might feel obliged to acknowledge it.

That must not happen. Between them, they had to persuade Sasuke not to step aside.

If he was not lost.

If he was alive.

What if he and Naruto and Haru and the others were dead?

And there it was, below him, a yawning pit of grief and despair.

Shikamaru refused to fall into it. He was needed. If he faltered, who would look out for the others' interests? Who would protect Su-chan?

He turned away from the chasm and started to plan.

* * *

.

* * *

Madara had made no progress with the Hyuga. He had found Neji difficult to read, but Neji had been an open book next to the female version.

She had neither confirmed nor denied that Neji was in Hyuga hands. She had sat there, impassive, while he accused the Hyuga of kidnapping and murdering a member of Uchiha. She had not reacted to his demands for evidence of Neji's fate and, if he were dead, appropriate reparations.

He had not been able to talk directly of their arrangement; there had been too great a chance that Sumaru or the ferret hybrid would overhear.

She had not even reacted when he rudely dismissed her or when he had insulted her by giving her the ferret hybrid as her escort.

Now, back in his office in the household, he was wondering why she had agreed to the meeting. He presumed that she would act as a conduit, relaying his words to her superiors.

He would give the Hyuga two days to respond. After that, he would follow his initial plan and make a public statement.

Decision made, he checked the shuttle. Nothing from Karin, which meant nothing from Orochimaru. He sighed. He knew it was too soon for confirmation that Sasuke Uchiha was dead. The Akatsuki did not have Uchiha's minigate network; Orochimaru's ship would have to travel to a gated system with a Stellar Exchange.

He settled at his desk, intending on spending some time planning how to spend the fortune Shikamaru had given him, only to find himself distracted.

The female Hyuga had been irritating but she had also been beautiful; elegant and well-endowed. He stabbed the intercom.

"Izuna here. Keitaro-kun to my office."

He then drew out a card and wrote an invitation for Konan to join them for the evening meal. It was tempting to invite her to his rooms, where they could eat surrounded by beautiful objects, but it was important to reinforce his position among the crew.

Konan was already in the kitchen when he arrived, talking to Shikamaru. He slowed his approach to study their interaction. Shikamaru was far more animated than he had been since the Oak's departure; Konan was smiling at him in a manner that Madara had thought she reserved for her son.

Then, before his eyes, the pleasure they felt in each other's company vanished. Madara realised he was the cause; they had seen him.

He stiffened and told himself it did not matter; it was not a leader's place to be popular.

He took his place and invited Konan to sit beside him. Shikamaru moved to sit on her left and, with a pang he refused to acknowledge as jealousy, Madara banished him to the other end of the table to sit among the junior crew.

Only purebreds were present. The ferret hybrid was on watch. The dog hybrids were minding the children.

It would do for now; once he was recognised as Uchiha-sama, full blood Uchihas and senior crew would share a formal evemeal in more appropriate surroundings.

They had served themselves, another practice he would do away with, and had started to eat when the intercom clicked.

"_This is Kamatari. There is a coded message. I have begun deciphering it and it is from Sasuke-sama."_

The food turned to dust in Madara's mouth. He swallowed and forced his face into a smile.

Not that anyone looked to him for direction. Shikamaru was gone; Madara was surprised he could move that fast. Konohamaru muttered an apology for leaving the table and followed.

It was Konohamaru who returned with the bare bones of the message. The Oak had been ambushed and destroyed. Most of its crew were trapped in the last system in the string with the only hole blocked.

But Sasuke Uchiha, the fox hybrid and the six youngest children had jumped the hole with the Orochimaru print's ship; a ship that carried at least Rin, Hoshi and four of the fox hybrid youngsters as prisoners.

By now the younger children were in pods and adrift this side of the blocked hole. Sasuke Uchiha intended to stay with the Akatsuki ship as it travelled back to Orochimaru's base. He was determined to rescue his children.

Sasuke Uchiha had escaped the trap.

Madara was furious; so angry that he was struggling to maintain the Izuna persona.

"I shall be in my office, Konohamaru-san," he announced. "Please keep me up to date." He turned to Konan and bowed. "I apologise for the disrupted meal, Konan-san."

She said something appropriate in return but he was not listening.

Once safely secluded in his apartment he could rant. The scheme had been so simple. No one jumped back until Sasuke Uchiha's death had been confirmed.

Only Orochimaru had to go and trust the mission to one of his prints, despite considerable evidence that Orochimaru prints were self-seeking, hedonistic and disloyal.

Like the original, but Orochimaru himself was driven by a goal that was out of reach of any print; Orochimaru wanted to live forever.

The only ray of hope was Sasuke's ill-advised heroism. If he had done as he should, and stayed with the pods, Madara would not have had the slightest chance of getting a message to Orochimaru before the Dart picked him up in three days' time.

Now it was a race between Madara's message and Sasuke Uchiha; which would reach Orochimaru first?

* * *

.

* * *

.


	30. Response

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to donalgraeme, cynder81, mikako17, melissen, Guest (Ely), Squirrley and JustSomeGuy for reviewing this version and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**30: Response**

* * *

Shikamaru was out of his seat before Kamatari had finished speaking. He ran to his office, glanced at his desk and then went through to Haru's laboratory; he wanted to be where Izuna was unlikely to find him.

He stripped and climbed into the simulator.

Once he had activated the interface, he connected directly to the control room, deliberately avoiding the intercom.

"This is Shikamaru. Please may I access the message?"

"_This is Kamatari. I haven't finished deciphering it yet."_

"Raw is fine," Shikamaru assured him, readying all his programmes. "Thank you Kamatari-san."

"Shikamaru-san?" a small voice queried as soon as the audio link to the control room was broken.

"I am busy, Sai," he replied.

The data package arrived and Shikamaru began unpacking it.

"Is there news about Haru?" Sai asked. "And Ran? And Kazuki?"

Shikamaru sighed. Sai was only a child. You did not tell children to go away when there was no other adult available to care for them.

He could not even tell Sai to talk to Sumiko because she was with Nagato and Hana.

"Yes, there is a message. Give me a few minutes to find out what is in it."

"I can do it," Sai volunteered.

Before he could say no, the package was decompressed, decoded, deciphered and laid out neatly. Shikamaru swallowed; so much for security.

"You should have waited for permission, Sai-kun," he pointed out, sending each component of the message to its intended recipient.

There was nothing for Izuna, which was something of a relief.

"I apologise," Sai replied. "Do you think Haru, Ran and Kazuki made it to the planet? Like Kuuya?"

Shikamaru was not accustomed to being left behind. What planet? "Give me a chance to catch up," he suggested.

"I shall examine the data about the system," Sai told him.

Shikamaru scanned the parts of the message marked for his attention and picked the one for him from Naruto. It was marked 'private and confidential' and Shikamaru knew it would be coded using their special cipher.

Not that the cipher had stopped Sai.

It was audio-only. Shikamaru imagined Naruto recording it as Sasuke slept.

"_Shi-chan. We miss you but it is good that you are there and not here because we need your help. It's a mess, but no one has died and Sasuke and I, we're determined that everyone will make it. Haru has been amazing. I am sure he and Kazuki will get the Lancet to the outer of the two standard-ecology planets. That's the rendezvous and Kuuya is already there._

"_Sasuke will give you all the details but what's important is that we were ambushed. The Akatsuki knew Sasuke was going to be jumping into the system and when. Someone is feeding them information, which means that news of this message is going to be on its way to Orochimaru, either from Tarrasade or from the Maple."_

Shikamaru paused the message. Trust Naruto to see the essentials. Tracking transmissions from the Maple was trivial and it wasn't much more difficult to analyse every electromagnetic wave originating from the household.

Only Naruto had not said 'household', or even 'compound'. He had said 'Tarrasade'.

There were five light speed data relays on each of the three gates. It was a mind-boggling amount of data.

Luckily he knew someone who was good with data.

"Sai, I could do with some help with something."

Within minutes they had a plan to clone all transmissions leaving the system and download them to a three by three by three data crystal array. Shikamaru had to hop out of the simulator to find one.

"We might have to make do with a two by two by two for now until I build one," he admitted.

Sai's voice came from a speaker above Haru's workbench. "Try the storage cupboard marked B4."

Haru was so organised; it was one of the ways he was like Sasuke. Shikamaru opened the cupboard. Inside was a three cubed array. Shikamaru pulled it out, hardwired it in and jumped back into the simulator.

"We are breaking a lot of rules," Sai observed.

"I am breaking the rules," Shikamaru emphasised. "You are doing what I have asked you to do. Even so, please do not tell anyone, even Su-chan."

"Sumiko is very strict about rules," Sai observed. "Why are we doing this, Shikamaru-san?"

Shikamaru explained.

There was a short silence. "We find the message, discover who sent it and then find out what person in the household has been telling them things," Sai summarised.

"Exactly," Shikamaru confirmed.

"Assuming it is not me or is not you," Sai checked.

For a moment Shikamaru considered whether it could be Sai. He had eyes and ears everywhere and no level of security could keep him out. "Yes, assuming it isn't you or me. It isn't me."

"It is not me either," Sai confirmed. "I would never help the Akatsuki. They killed Sumiko's Pa and Sumiko's Ma. It made her very sad." There was a brief pause. "They were your Pa and your Ma too."

Shikamaru imagined the vast amount of processing represented by the pause. "Yes Sai."

There was another pause. "Did it make you sad too?"

"Yes Sai. It hurts to lose people you are close to and care a lot for."

"I miss Haru. It would be like Haru being gone forever." There was a barely perceptible pause. "If we find the message, do we try to stop it?" Sai asked.

Shikamaru took a moment to readjust; Sai's changes in subject seemed abrupt from a flesh and blood human's point of view. "Yes, but it might not be possible. There will the time lag between us cloning the messages and finding the one we want."

"We could delay all the messages," Sai suggested.

Shikamaru imagined. "No, Sai. People are relying on those messages to arrive on time. In extreme cases a delay could change people's lives or even lead to someone's death."

"The people who died could be someone's Sumiko or Haru or Pa or Ma."

Shikamaru was impressed; so much for an artificial intelligence being incapable of empathy. The trick appeared to be allowing it, him, to be raised by children. "That's right, Sai. Also delaying the messages will draw attention to what we are doing, which is undesirable."

"No one outside must suspect I exist."

"Exactly," Shikamaru confirmed, remembering similar conversations between him and his Pa. "Now, is there anything we have missed?"

"What is the definition of missed?"

"Is there anything else we should be doing?"

"I am working on finding another hole in the system where Haru, Ran and Kazuki are trapped. The information leaving Tarrasade are already being cloned, coded, compressed, transmitted back and analysed." There was another, longer, pause. "Who is the spy likely to be, Shikamaru-san?"

Shikamaru almost answered but stopped himself. "Who do you think are the most likely suspects, Sai-kun?"

"The people who have previous connections to the Akatsuki. They are Konan, Hana, Kiba-san, Itachi-san, you and Haru. The people who are new to the crew. They are Five, Izuna and the people who help Kiba-san with his new litter. The people who have people they care about outside the crew and who may be open to blackmail. They are Konohamaru, Shino, Rin, Inari, Izumo, Kotetsu, Anko and Shizune."

"That's a good start, Sai," Shikamaru agreed. "We'll work on that tomorrow. Today I want to look through the rest of the message and then I will need some sleep."

"Sumiko is on a sleepover," Sai stated.

"Yes," Shikamaru acknowledged.

"You will not be telling her a bedtime story."

Shikamaru almost missed the point. Once he understood he almost said no, he wanted to think, but pulled himself up short. Sai was a child. "Has Haru ever told you the Supertronnies story?"

"We have discussed Supertronnies. Haru does not tell me stories."

"That is very remiss of him. Tomorrow, remind me to introduce you to the joy of reading fiction." Shikamaru settled into storytelling mode.

"Long, long ago all humans lived on a planet. It was the planet where the first ever humans had evolved. No one knows the name of the planet or the name of the star that the planet orbited or even what galaxy the star was in."

* * *

Sasuke watched Naruto sleep. Usually it was the other way around but Sasuke had woken with pains in his gut. He did not know if it was the weightlessness or a reaction to the anti-nausea pills.

Naruto's muscles twitched and he growled in his sleep. Sasuke put out a hand and stroked his fur, hoping to calm him.

Life in the Blossom was hard on both of them. Sasuke struggled to keep food down. Naruto was being driven crazy by the inactivity.

The T1 mothership had jumped the day before. Hopefully it had only been the ship that had been jamming their transmission and, by now, Shikamaru and Kakashi had their message.

Blue eyes were studying him.

"Sorry, dobe, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Gut?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Maybe we should reconsider," Naruto suggested. "At this rate we'll be so out of condition we won't have a chance."

Sasuke scowled at him. "I will not be podded. We are doing this together."

"I've given up on persuading you to do that," Naruto admitted. "Even though it's a good idea."

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue but Naruto kept talking.

"I think Asuma would have dispatched the Dart as soon as our transmission was overdue."

It was a good point. They had been in continual contact via the minigates; there was no good reason for their sudden silence. Also, if anything had happened to the Oak the Silver Leaf was stranded. "Perhaps," Sasuke conceded. "If so, when would the Dart arrive to collect the pods?"

"Three days' time, four tops."

Sasuke tried to think. They had decided that their best bet was to take control of this ship. What they had not decided was when.

There were arguments for acting soon; the course Naruto advocated. The Orochimaru print, for whatever reasons, had left a considerable fraction of his resources behind. The longer they left it, the more likely it was that they would rendezvous with other Akatsuki ships.

But Sasuke had worried about what happened if they failed. The Orochimaru print would realise that they had piggybacked. He might double back and go searching for pods.

If the Dart would have picked up all the pods in five days time, they could risk it once they were another three days into the journey.

"Teme, what if the print decides to mess with one of the kits, or with Hoshi, or to torture one of the others for the fun of it?"

Sasuke froze. He wanted to say it would not happen, but he could not. He remembered what the Orochimaru print had done to Akemi.

"The stealth technology on the pods is excellent," he conceded.

Naruto perked up. "Superb," he agreed.

"We could disable the drive," Sasuke added.

"Good idea. Or we could use a bomb to act as a fail-safe."

A bomb sounded a bit extreme.

"A small one," Naruto clarified. "In fact, small, remote-detonated bombs across the ship would be an excellent diversionary tactic."

"We would have to plant them," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto's eyes were entirely too bright. "Start with in this docking bay. Then go outside. A few holes in the hull would distract them and our people are probably podded."

Sasuke decided not to mention that one of Naruto's most persuasive arguments for moving the schedule forward was that their people might not be podded.

"We finalise the plan. We prepare everything we might need. Once we are ready we act."

Naruto pumped a clenched fist. "Yes!"

* * *

Haru woke up and wished he hadn't.

Being on a planet was an adventure. He should find it exciting. The kits did; Ka-chan and Kuu-chan loved it, particularly when they were allowed out of the burrow. Ran had settled in remarkably well; the toad hybrids had taken to him as much as he had to them.

Haru was struggling. He had yet to adapt to the long days and nights. His gut rebelled when challenged by the food, even though Dan-san insisted it was fine and the others ate it without a problem. He disliked being constantly damp and hated the fact that he woke up each morning covered in blood-suckers.

His nickname among the toad hybrids was 'Leech Magnet'. Apparently there were lots of jokes about leeches, which, he was assured, explained why they laughed at him so much.

He sighed; he wanted to go back to sleep but he couldn't. The bedcovers felt damp, which could be his sweat or condensation or both. Once he concentrated he could hear one drip and then another and then a third. They were falling at different rates, creating a complex pattern he could not ignore.

Then Haku-san started talking to one of the toad hybrids, which was a relief because eavesdropping was better than listening to the drips splattering. It had to be Gamariki because he was the only one other than Kosuke who could speak enough of the 'old way' to hold a conversation.

Gamariki and Haku-san had struck up a friendship. They had a lot in common. Gamariki managed this burrow, like a queen managed a crew room. He, like Haku-san, cared greatly about his appearance. He augmented his naturally colourful skin with cosmetics and he was the only toad hybrid they had met who wore clothes for ornamentation as well as function.

"Awake little one is," Gamariki said.

Haru threw back the cover and leapt out of bed intending to get some clothes on. Gamariki had no concept of personal space or privacy. He was quite capable of sweeping into Haru's sleeping alcove and scooping him up for a hug.

Then Haru caught sight of his skin. He was covered in leeches. As usual, he had not felt it; his pain receptors were numbed by the anaesthetic the leeches produced.

They were everywhere, even on his penis: all different sizes; all fat with blood.

He felt dizzy and sat down.

He thought he heard sniggering. Then Gamariki was looming over him with the smaller figure of Haku-san beside him.

"Haru-kun!" Haku-san exclaimed. "I'll get Dan-san."

"No need is," Gamariki assured him. "Riki show."

Gamariki pulled up a small stood and sat down. Haru found himself thinking how prettily coloured he was; like something Sumiko would draw. His eyes were an unlikely violet and while the skin on his throat, chest and abdomen was pale, much like Haru's skin, his face and back and limbs were bright green with a yellow pattern.

He drew a leather purse from the purple sash that was wound around his waist. "Haru-kun," he said sharply.

Haru tried to pay attention but he did feel woozy.

Gamariki opened the purse and brought out a slim cylinder that smelt strange but nice. "The lamp, Haku-san."

Haku-san brought over the lamp and Gamariki held the end of the cylinder in the flame until it ignited. Haru watched it burn. The air was suddenly heavy with a sweet, spicy scent.

Next Gamariki blew the flame out. The end of the cylinder kept smouldering. Then he touched the hot end to a leech and then another.

He worked quickly and expertly. Once he had touched twelve he stopped, relit the cylinder and let it burn to reheat the end.

Haru watched the first leech drop away and then the second, followed quickly by the third and the fourth.

Gamariki blew out the flame. "Haru-kun stand."

He managed it, but Gamariki had to steady him. "Little one blood lost," he observed, touching the stick to a leech on his stomach.

Finally all seventy-nine of them had gone; Haru had counted. Haku-san shook out his bedcovers and went to get a brush. Gamariki discarded the stump of the stick and brought out a small jar of cream. Using his littlest finger, he placed a small dab on each of the bites.

His touch was gentle. It reminded Haru of Kiba-san.

"Haru-kun sad," Gamariki suggested.

"I miss my family," Haru admitted.

Haku-san arrived with the brush and began sweeping away the leeches, some of which were still wriggling in their death throes.

"I thought the leech repellent would keep them away," he complained, indicating the saucers of green goo on the floor with the brush.

Gamariki turned Haru about to treat the bites on his back. "Riki investigate. Unguent Haru-kun give. Skin smear. Leeches not bite."

Finally every leech was gone and each bite treated. Gamariki and Haku-san moved away. Haru pulled a pair of underpants out of his pack but, somehow, the damp had got to them. He left them off, sighing as he pulled on the soft, snakeskin shorts that Gamariki had found for them all to wear.

He stood in the archway between his sleeping area and the shared area. Haku-san was making tea with a pot and cups that made his hands look small. Gamariki was watching him; Haru thought that he liked watching Haku-san do familiar tasks in an unfamiliar way.

"Haru-kun us join," Gamariki insisted.

Haru reluctantly sat on the bench next to Gamariki; sitting anywhere else only delayed the inevitable.

Gamariki hugged him and stroked his hair. Haru submitted. It wasn't unpleasant but he resented Gamariki treating him like a child.

In Gamariki's eyes, that's what he was.

Toad hybrid society, at least the Gama tribe, was very structured. From what Haru could see, what you did depended on your gender, your age, your size and only then on your aptitudes and inclinations.

Gamaken, Gamahiro and Gamabunta were adult hunters and lived with the other adult hunters. There was a separate burrow for the gatherers and another for the scholars; both groups were also all male. Kosuke lived in the scholars' burrow. A leader's burrow, a hatchery and a nursery had also been mentioned.

Haru wondered if there were females in the hatchery or the nursery.

Gamariki's burrow was for youngsters who had yet to be assigned a role. It had been decided that the guests would be more comfortable there than anywhere else.

There wasn't a guests' burrow. Apparently interaction between different toad hybrid tribes was very rare.

According to traditional stories, of which there seemed to be many, there had originally been six toad hybrid tribes, each focused around one of the six spaceports that were spaced out over the planet's surface.

Three of the tribes had died out and a fourth looked like it was going the same way.

Questions about why the other tribes had died out had been ignored; it appeared to be a taboo subject. There were a number of those. Haru was keeping a list: fate of extinct tribes, females, babies, breeding and why the there were only two toad hybrid youngsters in a burrow that could take twenty.

It didn't take genius traits to see the pattern; the toad hybrids weren't having enough children.

Once he had drunk some tea he felt better and Gamariki began offering him food. Haru picked out a few pieces of fruit that he knew would not disagree with him.

He guessed that Kazuki and Kuuya were with the gatherers. They kept asking to accompany the hunters but the Gama could not cope with the notion of such tiny people being hunters, no matter how fast or strong they were.

Being with the gatherers allowed them to take the receiver/recorder to the surface. The best time to collect signals was around noon.

Haru had no idea what time it was. The Gama had no chronometers and his body clock was all over the place.

He wondered where Ran was so he asked.

His question led to more hugs and hair-stroking; Gamariki thought his friendship with Ran was sweet.

"Ran-kun is with Dan-san visiting Gama-sama's burrow," Haku-san informed him. "They went to ask whether we could put up an antenna."

An antenna would be good. With an antenna, Haru could check for radio signals all the time. At the moment, one of them had to go to the surface.

He took another bite of the weird-looking fruit.

Gamariki was suddenly very still with his head tilted slightly to one side. Haru guessed that he had heard something.

"Haku-san Haru-kun Riki excuse," he said, standing up and leaving the shared area.

Haru chewed the stringy fruit pulp and reconsidered what they knew about what was happening off planet. There wasn't much; someone had finally switched off the battleboard in the Sakura.

The Spear and the Cherry were still out there. Itachi-san was still needling the Orochimaru print. If Itachi-san was up to something, he did not give any hints of what it was over the radio.

Soon, if not already, the jump field disruptor would be finished and the Orochimaru print would turn his attention to finding them.

Haku-san was looking at something. Haru swallowed his mouthful and turned. In one of the archways stood the two youngsters, Gamatatsu and Gamakichi. Gamariki was behind them.

"Gamakichi and Gamatatsu something to Haru-kun say," Gamariki stated, giving Gamakichi a look.

Gamakichi was the older of the two. He was about the same size as Kuuya with orange skin and purple markings. He looked pleadingly at Gamariki, whose expression did not change.

Gamakichi's gaze turned to Haru. "Haru," he began. "We sorry."

Why were they apologising to him?

"Sorry," echoed Gamatatsu, who was Kazuki's height.

Gamariki scowled at Gamakichi.

"Leeches Haru bed put," Gamakichi explained. "Sorry."

They had been putting the leeches in his bed? Haru was cross. It had been horrid.

Haku-san was looking at him, waiting for his reaction.

Haru made himself think. He remembered what the litter had been like about outsiders. Even among themselves they had pranked each other and, sometimes, the target had been hurt rather than amused.

"I accept your apology," he replied. "It was a prank."

"Prank?" Gamariki queried.

"Joke," Haru tried. "To make people laugh. Did I look funny?"

Gamatatsu looked at Gamakichi and then at him in confusion.

Haru tried smiling.

Gamatatsu smiled back.

Suddenly the three of them were laughing.

Gamariki looked at Haku-san and shook his head.

"Boys will be boys," Haku-san agreed.

After that it was much better. Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, or Kichi and Tatsu, sat at the table and they tried to talk. Haru remembered what it had been like trying to communicate with Ran when he first arrived and began drawing things on the table top with his finger.

Soon they had sheets of stretched leather and charcoal sticks. When they finished with a drawing they would rub it off the surface.

Gamariki and Haku-san sat at the other end of the table, watching.

Kazuki and Kuuya arrived back. Kazuki was carrying the receiver/recorder on his back while Kuuya had a basket that had been filled with the best finds of the day by the Gama gatherers.

Haru resisted the urge to examine the recording and decode any messages; it was more important to cement relationships with Kichi and Tatsu.

Ka-chan and Kuu-chan washed up and joined them at the table. Tatsu's eyes widened and he moved closer to Kichi.

Kichi smiled apologetically, showed his teeth and made quick sketches of a snake and a crocodile with huge fangs.

"We don't bite our friends," Kazuki assured them with a grin.

Kuuya nodded and twitched his whiskers.

Tatsu watched, obviously as fascinated as he was frightened.

Next Dan-san and Ran arrived. Haru had expected them to look disappointed or pleased, depending on the decision about the antenna. Instead they looked anxious.

"Yes to the antenna," Dan-san told them, "as long as we can camouflage it."

Haru waited; there had to be some other, less welcome, news.

"Gama-sama has had a message from another tribe. Another spaceship has landed at the next spaceport along."

Haru's gut flip-flopped. Was it one of theirs or an Akatsuki craft?

* * *

.


	31. Stealth

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to donalgraeme, cynder81, mikako17, melissen, Guest (Ely), Squirrley and JustSomeGuy for reviewing this version and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**31: Stealth**

* * *

Deprived of a surface on which to organise the equipment, Sasuke had resorted to a list. Each item was labelled with a number that corresponded to a neatly-written entry. To the right hand side of the sheet were headed columns. The first two columns were filled with ticks and Sasuke was working on the third.

"Number twenty four," he pronounced.

Naruto found the numbered item in the corner they had netted to make a storage area. "Limpet bomb, small, remote detonate using coded signal."

Sasuke ticked it off. "Number twenty-five."

"Same."

Sasuke scowled at him and Naruto sighed. "Limpet bomb, small, remote detonate using coded signal," he repeated.

"Number twenty-six."

"Shaped charge, large, remote detonate using coded signal."

"Number twenty-seven."

Finally they finished. Naruto uncurled from his position next to the net and executed a slow motion back flip into his chair. He looked across at the list with suspicion.

"What are those other columns for? I hope it's not for yet another check."

Sasuke had been thinking that maybe one more check would be wise. "No," he decided. "This one is for checking the items out of the net; this is for recording which pack it is in. I thought we would use letters for that. This one is for recording when they have been used." He looked at the last column. If he admitted it was a spare Naruto would know it had been for an extra check. "And this last one is to record if they worked properly."

Naruto looked at him disbelievingly.

"Food bar?" Sasuke suggested.

The bar was gone in three bites but it had worked, Naruto's attention had moved from the list to the plans that Sasuke had tacked on the walls.

They were colour coded. At various points there were neat numbers, which referred to equipment from the net.

Sasuke was rather proud of them.

The main problem was that they had no idea of the size, composition and distribution of the crew. Each plan, except the blue and perhaps the yellow and probably the red, were alternatives for different situations.

The blue plan involved placing remotely detonated charges in key places in the docking bays and on the outer hull over the drives. Red represented their plan of last resort; they would explode the charges over the drives and take advantage of the chaos that followed.

Yellow was step one of the measured, information-seeking approach. They would try to find a way into the engine room, create a fault and wait to see who turned up to investigate. Hopefully the person, or people, would tell them what they need to know without them having to resort to torture.

Purple, green, pink and brown were different plans for various scenarios Sasuke had thought through. He was hoping for green: a crew that was just big enough for them not to be sure of each other's whereabouts and the Orochimaru print holed up in an apartment rather than commanding the ship.

"So it's blue, then yellow and then reassess the situation," Naruto checked.

Sasuke's mind filled with the other plans. In essence though, Naruto was correct. "Yes," he admitted.

"Good. Let's get our packs and suits sorted for the first bit."

Sasuke looked at him.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Blue," he clarified.

Sasuke wished that he could hang out the hole in the docking bay door and check what Naruto was doing. Instead he settled for changing the angle of the snake camera, cursing its limited field of view.

There was a single tug on the rope and he paid out two more spans. Another tug; at this rate they would run out of rope. Where was Naruto going?

Naruto had argued against the rope but Sasuke had insisted. Naruto could be injured or lose consciousness; he wanted to be able to pull him in.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the reel began turning to take up slack; Naruto was on his way back.

Once they were back inside, Naruto grabbed a tablet.

"I had a good look around as well as planting the bombs."

"I noticed, dobe," Sasuke complained.

"It was worth it, teme. This is a standard model ship, modified to take the miniature Mulligan drive. I've located some airlocks and reference numbers. Put with the data the Oak collected, we might be able to find some plans."

"There are ship's plans in the Blossom's database?" Sasuke asked.

"Shi-chan put everything he thinks might be useful into the database. This is useful, so Shi-chan will have thought of it."

Sasuke wasn't convinced by Naruto's logic, but the ship's plans were there, as he had predicted.

The design of the ship, relatively small but with six docking bays, was uncommon enough for there to be only twelve possibilities. Eight were close to the correct size but only one was made in a shipyard that used reference numbers like the ones Naruto had found.

"They may have modified the internal layout," Sasuke warned as they poured over the plans.

"Why bother?" Naruto asked. He tapped brought up the plans for the docking bay they were in. "Here. This maintenance lock is internal. It won't be linked into the external security."

Sasuke considered. If Itachi was running their security the lock would have been identified as a potential weak point and trapped. There again, if the ship's chief of security had been as good as Itachi they would have been discovered by now. He studied the plans more closely. The lock led to a lower storage hold. "That hold will have gone. They would need space to accommodate the second drive."

"If this side of the lock is there, the other side will be too," Naruto pointed out. "If we're lucky, it'll lead directly into the drive room and, if they are half-way competent, they will have their drive room depressurised."

It was a nice thought. If the room at the other side was depressurised the pumps would not be activated and there would be less chance that someone would pick up the fact that an airlock was opening and closing.

They went fully equipped to check out the airlock. If it was not there the attempt would turn into a dry run and they would re-plan; no other option looked half as good.

Once they were suited, they checked the equipment from the net into their packs, strapped on laser guns and fastened the controller for the bombs around Sasuke's left forearm.

Then Sasuke donned his dark vision goggles, they closed their helmets and they were off, securing the Blossom behind them.

Naruto swung himself over the edge of the platform and pushed off using his feet. Sasuke watched him diving downwards.

Sasuke stepped off and used his gas gun to follow. As he approached the floor he could see Naruto landing close to where they expected the airlock to be, in the floor five paces from the curved inner wall. He turned and gave a thumbs-up.

It only took Sasuke a few minutes to get the first door of the airlock open and little longer to override the safety systems that normally prevented both doors being open at the same time.

He watched as Naruto tried the inner door. If there was air on the other side, the pressure would hold it shut.

It opened.

Naruto moved so their helmets touched. "There's no light at all; I'll have to use a glow stick."

Sasuke understood the warning; his goggles would be at maximum gain. He screwed his eyes shut, waiting for them to adapt to the new level of light.

The way Naruto squeezed his upper arm told Sasuke that the news was good.

The storage hold had indeed been converted to take the miniature Mulligan drive. It was in the centre of the room, held there by the isolation rods. The only other equipment was a diagnostics panel.

Sasuke shivered. They did not want to be caught in here when the drive was activated and began generating the jump field; this close there would be all manner of radiation currents.

Naruto touched helmets again. "That'll be the airlock to the engine room," he said, pointing diagonally across the room.

Sasuke used his gas gun to propel himself in the indicated direction while Naruto shut the airlock behind them. He was two-thirds of the way across when Naruto went by him, landed in a crouch by the lock and gave him another thumbs-up.

Sure enough, there was a label on the door that read 'Engine Room'.

Naruto was trying the door. It did not open, which was not surprising. Common sense suggested that it would have last been used by someone exiting the drive room and the lock would have been left pressurised.

They could activate the pump from this side but that risked activating a warning light in the control room.

If Shikamaru were there, he would connect some magic interface and override the signal. He wasn't, so Sasuke was going to disconnect all the circuits. It might be identified in the control room as a fault but that was better than showing the airlock being used.

That had to be done from within the lock, where the control unit was located.

He anchored himself using a convenient handhold, brought out his tool kit and began drilling the smallest of holes. Meanwhile, Naruto prepared a patch before connecting their suits so that they could talk.

Not that they did but Naruto was making small, foxy sounds of encouragement, like he did with the children; it was sweet.

The drill bit broke through and Sasuke kept it in place to restrict the flow of air; the slower it was, the less likely it was to attract attention.

It took a while. Once Sasuke was sure most of the air was gone he withdrew the drill bit and tried the door. Having confirmed it would open, Naruto patched the tiny hole and Sasuke replaced the drill in his pack.

They entered the lock and fastened the door behind them. Then Sasuke opened the cover of the control unit.

"_Teme?"_ Naruto queried.

The wiring was very simple, designed to be easily maintained. "As expected, dobe."

Sasuke disconnected everything and then created a new circuit linking the power supply, the pump and the switch. He then reassembled the control unit, replaced the panel and packed up his tools.

"_Ready?_" Naruto asked.

The worst scenario was that someone was in the Engine Room, had heard them fiddling with the control unit and was waiting, with reinforcements, for them to open the inner door.

"Yes," he replied.

He held his breath as Naruto hit the switch. The air pressure in the lock started rising, which was good. Sasuke slowly exhaled.

It seemed to take forever. As the dial entered the blue zone, Naruto disconnected their suits and they both readied laser pistols.

Naruto cracked the door and there was no response from the other side. There was, however, music coming from Sasuke's helmet speaker; music and a strange squeaking.

The sound was being picked up by his suit's external microphone.

Someone was there.

He was still running though the various options when Naruto slithered out of the gap and launched himself towards the nearest cover, which was behind a large console. He then signalled for Sasuke to join him.

Sasuke swallowed; if they were going into hand-to-hand combat in zero gravity it was difficult to see how he could be anything other than a hindrance.

Naruto gestured again, this time more urgently.

He tried to follow the path Naruto had taken, carefully pushing the door closed behind him with a foot.

Naruto had a snake cam out of his pack and was feeding the end around the edge of the console.

They looked at the display.

It took a moment for Sasuke to make sense of it. There was one minky with a large duster on a long stick. It was difficult to decide if he was cleaning with it or dancing with it. Sasuke watched him do a back flip followed by a pirouette.

The music was coming from a small portable player. The squeaking was him singing along.

Naruto signalled that he was going to open his helmet. Sasuke understood; Naruto would be able to collect much more information if he could use his nose.

Sasuke took charge of the snake cam. Naruto opened his helmet and took a slow, deep breath. "One minky," he mouthed. "Ideal."

And he was gone.

Sasuke watched the scene unfold using the snake cam. The minky's head turned in their direction as Naruto accelerated. There was a squeak and the minky used the duster to launch himself towards the ceiling.

Naruto growled, kicked the closest surface to change direction and pursued.

The chase reminded Sasuke of the kits in the zero gravity gym; the minky was quick and it was amazing how he managed to dodge every time Naruto made a grab for him.

"Teme!" Naruto called and Sasuke belated realised that the minky was behind him.

He spun about, only just remembering to hook a foot around the edge of the console for anchorage. The minky squeaked and used the duster to pole-vault over him.

The distraction was enough; Naruto had him. There was the sound of small teeth snapping.

"Stop that!" Naruto growled and snarled, showing his fangs.

The minky was suddenly very small and still. Sasuke could see that he was old; his coat was greying. He also had an impressive number of scars.

They improvised handcuffs and shackles from ratchet-ties.

Naruto tried sitting him in the swivel chair at the console, but he kept wriggling off before Naruto could fasten the lap belt.

"Not allowed to sit in the chair," he insisted.

The minky was more frightened of whoever had told him he was not allowed to sit in the chair than he was of Naruto.

Sasuke opened his helmet and took off his goggles. "Put him on the floor," he ordered.

Naruto tethered him to the console.

Sasuke put himself where his head would be on the same level as their prisoner's. "We don't want to hurt you."

The minky looked at him; disbelief was clear in his eyes.

Sasuke decided to try a more basic approach. "Do you have a name?"

The minky shook his head. "Not allowed a name."

Sasuke wondered. The minky was old and he had probably spent long periods of time in stasis. It was possible that this was a minky that Kiba had raised.

"Kiba gave you a name," he tried.

The minky stared at him, squeezed his lips together and shook his head.

His reaction was enough to convince Sasuke that he was onto something. He smiled. "Kiba raised you."

"You know Kiba?" the minky whispered.

"Yes. He left Orochimaru and Kabuto and came to live with us."

The minky's eyes widened further.

"As part of our family," Sasuke added. He recalled what he remembered about the minkies on Jewel. "Part of our group. He has nice food like fish every day and sleeps with the person he likes sleeping with."

The old minky's eyes filled with tears. "There's only one of my group left," he confided. "All the others are dead. He's on this ship but Captain won't let us be on the same shift. She says we waste time talking."

So the captain was female; probably a neko.

"Are there lots of minkies on the ship?" he asked.

The minky shook his head. "Gone in their fighters. Didn't come back. Six old ones like me left. We clean and lift and carry."

"Hard work," Sasuke suggested.

The minky shook his head. "No. Only one group of nekos. No Him."

Did 'No Him' mean that there was no Orochimaru print aboard? Had the print stayed behind? Sasuke looked at Naruto who was looking back.

He decided to change tack. "Is anyone expecting you soon?"

The minky shook his head. "Long shift."

"And will anyone come here to check on you?"

Another shake of the head but this time Sasuke saw Naruto's whiskers twitch.

"You sure?"

"Not a neko," he clarified. "Maybe a minky. Maybe Old-yellow-twenty-six. Probably not."

"What should we call you?" Naruto asked.

"Old-old-red-eight," the minky replied, pointing to his upper arm. On it was tattooed a large, neat red figure eight and two crude, faded blue blobs. "Two red squads since ours," he added in a whisper.

Sasuke could see 'that look' growing on Naruto's face; the one he got when people, usually hybrids, were being mistreated.

They had to be hard-hearted. This minky, and probably the others, would turn on them in a flash; they were too scared of their masters to do otherwise.

"Is Orochimaru onboard?" he asked.

Old-old-red-eight shook his head.

"Or Kabuto?"

Another shake.

"Or any purebreds?"

The minky considered. "May be purebreds in the pods. Delivering pods to Orochimaru-sama."

So even the minkies knew about the pods.

"Twelve nekos," Naruto checked, "including the captain."

Old-old-red-eight nodded.

"Are there any other nekos in stasis?"

"No. Stayed behind. To tidy up."

Sasuke was not sure if he believed it. According to the minky, the Orochimaru print and the bulk of his resources had stayed behind and this ship had only a skeleton crew.

"What about minkies?" Naruto asked.

"Back up squadron in stasis," the minky told them.

"Two groups," Naruto checked.

Old-old-red-eight nodded.

"And their ships are in docking bay...?"

"Two," the minky finished.

Naruto signalled that Sasuke should close his helmet, so they could talk privately.

"If they get the sixty minkies out of stasis we are in trouble," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto gave a small growl of agreement. "_The longer we wait, the more likely they are to find us. One dart gun loaded for minkies, one for nekos. Laser pistols as backup._"

Sasuke knew he had to think fast. Naruto was raring to go; he was already loading the dart guns. "What if some of them hold up in the control room?"

Naruto paused for a moment, then pushed back his helmet and addressed the minky.

"Is the captain on duty or off?"

The minky looked at the chronometer on the wall. "Captain off duty. She'll be in her cabin with Neko-six."

Naruto closed his helmet again. "_Perfect. We'll start there rather than the crew room_."

"But..." Sasuke objected.

"_They're a group and neither Orochimaru nor Kabuto is aboard. If we have half of them, especially if we have the leader, they'll cave in._" He looked at Sasuke with serious blue eyes. "_The biggest risk is delaying. If we lose the advantage of surprise we're in trouble._" He turned about and shot Old-old-red-eight with a dart.

The minky looked puzzled for a moment and then flopped. Sasuke watched as Naruto went over, retrieved the dart and removed the ratchet ties, leaving him loosely tethered to the console.

"_Just in case_," he admitted.

Sasuke knew he meant the untying rather than the dart; trust Naruto to be thinking about the minky's welfare.

Naruto led the way out of the engine room and had jumped before Sasuke had orientated himself. He looked up along the shaft and ladder that ran through central core of the ship and readied his gas gun. By the time he had launched himself, Naruto was warning him that the artificial gravity cut in once they were past the docking bays.

Once he crossed the boundary, he suddenly slowed and started to fall; he grabbed the nearest rung and started to climb.

Naruto was giving a running commentary over their radio link as he began subduing the neko crew. One grenade of knock-out gas went into the captain's cabin and another into the crew room. He then darted two of them in the galley.

"_Four left, teme_," he observed. "_I think two are in the control room but we need to locate the other two. You seen anyone yet?_"

Sasuke was only on the level above the docking bay. He stepped off the ladder. "No. I'll work my way up."

"_Be careful_," Naruto warned.

The main airlocks, a small one for people and a larger one for freight, were located at the level above the docking bays. The rest of the level was dedicated to storage. Sasuke cracked open each door in turn to check the light levels; if they were pitch dark they were unlikely to be occupied.

When he tried the fourth, light streamed out the narrow opening and his suit's external microphone picked up music that was similar to that in the engine room.

The light levels suggested hydroponics and the music minkies, but he decided to check. He pulled a snake cam out of his pack and introduced the end around the edge of the door.

There were took elderly minkies tending the plants. He presumed one was Old-yellow-twenty-six.

He could dart them or gas them. The room was large; the sleep-gas might take a long time to build up to a high enough level. On the other hand, they probably could run, dodge and jump like Old-old-red-eight.

No, darting was the correct choice. The music should cover any sound he made and the bright lights meant that the door was in relative shadow.

He shot the younger one first. He gave a squeak of surprise and turned. His companion had just asked what was wrong when he was also hit.

Sasuke quickly checked that the darts were empty and the minkies could breath before finished searching the rest of the level.

"_Got the two in the control room,"_ Naruto announced over the radio link. _"Darted and tied. Working my way down." _

Sasuke wondered how Naruto had managed it. "I've darted the other two minkies on duty. I am climbing to the next level."

The next level up was divided into two: on one side were the minky living quarters and on the other ranks of pods. Sasuke resisted the urge to go and look for the children; there were nekos and minkies to deal with first.

In the smallest of the rooms, in a corner, he spotted a nest containing three sleeping minkies. He rolled in a gas grenade and shut the door.

"I have found and gassed the three off-duty minkies," he reported.

"_Good. I've checked the top three levels. They have to be on the level between you and me. What haven't we seen so far?" _

"Infirmary, armoury and briefing room," Sasuke suggested. It made perfect sense to have those at the interface between minky and neko territory.

"_Let's meet in the central shaft." _

Given the number of lethal objects in armouries and infirmaries, they decided to gas the entire level, using what Naruto complained was a vast excess of gas grenades.

Sasuke wanted to be sure.

They found one neko in the infirmary and the other in the armoury.

"Their internal security is awful," Sasuke observed as they carried the two bodies to the central shaft. "Not even gas sensors."

"_Orochimaru probably wants to be able to gas them if they begin thinking for themselves,"_ Naruto pointed out. _"You go look to see if you can find eighteen empty pods and I'll collect the rest of the bodies." _

Sasuke was still shocked how easy it had been. He had expected at least some of the nekos to realise what was happening and fight back.

All the full-size pods and over half the minky-size were empty. He checked one over carefully. It was a standard model; not modified in any way.

They soon had a system for stripping the bodies, loading them into pods and running a diagnostic. Naruto made a neat pile of clothes for each hybrid and added a label with his or her number; even the nekos were tattooed.

As soon as the last pod was loaded into the racks Naruto smiled at him.

He smiled back. "The children." He wanted to kiss Naruto but there was still too much sleep-gas in the air for them to open their helmets.

"_The children_," Naruto agreed. "_Did you see their pods in the racks?"_

Sasuke hadn't.

They rechecked the racks and then started to search the rest of the ship. Sasuke's heart had started to hammer. What if the pods were not aboard? What if, somehow, they had been transferred to another ship? Or never been on this ship at all?

He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Old-old-red-eight had said they were delivering pods to Orochimaru.

"They will be in one of the storage holds," he said firmly, trying to convince himself as much as Naruto.

"_Yes, next to the airlock,_" Naruto agreed.

For once he slid down the ladder as quickly as Naruto.

They were in a rack in the third storage hold they checked; five pods, one for each of the children. He was surprised that there was no sixth. From what he had overhead when the neko was reporting from the Sakura, he had thought Orochimaru was interested in Rin.

Naruto was checking the names that they had watched being written on the pods' shells. Sasuke watched him freeze. He looked at Sasuke with wild eyes.

"_Yoshimi isn't here." _

Sasuke's mouth dried. He looked for himself. There were only three marked 'fox hybrid'. From the descriptors written underneath, it was indeed Yoshimi who was missing.

Yo-chan was with the Orochimaru print.

* * *

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	32. Allies

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to cynder81, mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, melissen and donalgraeme for reviewing this version and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**32: Allies**

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.

* * *

Madara had spent a night and a day coming to terms with the message from Sasuke Uchiha. Everything he desired was slipping from his fingers. It was imperative that he reconsider and regroup, or a millennium-long labour would be lost.

This was no longer the decisive move; it had dwindled to a battle in a longer campaign.

He concentrated on what he had gained. He was accepted as Izuna. It was known, publically, that Izuna Uchiha was alive and had never been declared dead. The media interest was huge and building; he could still capitalise on the momentum. Shikamaru had handed over a fortune.

Sasuke Uchiha's position was weakened. He had been deprived of the Oak, with the improver it contained. Neji had gone. Many key personnel had been caught in the trap and should never return.

The possibility remained that Sasuke would pursue Orochimaru and Orochimaru, forewarned, would kill him. Unfortunately, it was not enough of a chance that Madara could depend on it.

Above all, he had learned a crucial lesson. With the possible exception of Sumaru, these people would never follow him. They were personally loyal to Sasuke and they would resent anyone who stood in his place.

It was a familiar picture; people had always been attracted to him or Izuna, never both.

Then there was Shikamaru. The man who had arrived at their regular morning meeting had been transformed. The unassuming, irritating geek was gone and the man Madara had been able to imagine fucking was back; impertinent, brilliant and compelling.

A man who hated him. A man who vomited at his touch. Possibly, Madara reluctantly admitted, a man who could not be controlled.

If he could get rid of Shikamaru, Sasuke would be an ordinary opponent.

He examined his image in the mirror and practiced a smile. Even to his eyes it was unconvincing. Then he imagined Shikamaru being investigated by Centralite scientists.

Yes, that was better.

* * *

.

* * *

It had been a good morning. Shikamaru had breakfasted with Sumiko, checked with Sai about the progress he had made, considered likely routes for the Akatsuki mothership and sent fresh orders to Tennyo Four.

Even his regular morning meeting with Izuna had gone well. Izuna had asked questions and Shikamaru had enjoyed concocting answers that contained no useful information.

Only four more days until Kakashi arrived and he would no longer be under Izuna's thumb.

More importantly, Neji was safe and Sasuke, Naruto, Haru and the others were alive. Best of all, there were things he could do to help keep them that way.

Shikamaru made sure he was early for that afternoon's briefing. To his delight, Asuma was sitting at the table.

Maybe he would be liberated sooner than he had thought.

Keitaro was on one side; Tenten on the other. Asuma looked uncomfortable and his skin was almost grey, suggesting that Moegi had stretched Izuna's ruling that he should be fully recovered before being detanked.

"Shikamaru-san," Asuma rumbled.

Tenten vacated her place and indicated that Shikamaru should take it.

"Asuma-san. I wish the news of Akemi-kun had been better."

"At least there is news," Asuma answered, squeezing Keitaro's hand. "How are you coping?"

Shikamaru was glad Asuma did not ask about Neji directly; he did not like lying to his friends.

"Better having heard from Sasuke-sama and Naruto," Shikamaru admitted. He saw Keitaro's gaze go to the door and Tenten stiffen. "We must talk later," he added, giving his place back to Tenten.

Izuna's smile on seeing Asuma appeared entirely genuine.

"Asuma-san. An unexpected pleasure at this difficult time." He indicated the seat at the head of the table. "Please."

Shikamaru held his breath. What had Asuma been told by Tenten, Keitaro and the others?

Asuma pushed himself to his feet and walked slowly around the table.

Shikamaru watched every step, hoping that Asuma did not faint.

He made it and sat down. "Thank you, Izuna-sama. And thank you for stepping into the breach while I was incapacitated."

Shikamaru suppressed the urge to cheer. Looking around the table, he guessed that the others felt the same.

Izuna took one of the other seats as if the demotion was of no importance to him, which was impressive. Sumaru looked to Asuma, who gestured to him to sit down.

"Kono-san, start us off," Asuma instructed.

"We have had time to go through the message we received yesterday evening," Konohamaru began. "We now know that the Oak was ambushed immediately after it jumped. It has been destroyed and most of its crew is trapped in the system at the end of the string with Akatsuki forces blocking their way home.

"The good news is that Sasuke-sama has escaped by piggybacking on an enemy ship jumping back through the hole. He had the younger children with him and their pods have been set adrift in the second to last system for us to retrieve. He and Naruto-san have stayed with the enemy ship because it is thought that there are some of our people on board as prisoners. They plan to take control of the ship and rescue the prisoners."

He stopped and looked to Asuma.

"Thank you, Kono-san. Shika-san?"

Shikamaru was ready. "Thank you, Asuma-san. There is little we can do to help those who are trapped. The hole is being blocked from inside the system and there are no other known holes. We will have to rely on the ingenuity of those trapped and hope that they defeat the enemy forces and unblock the hole. Given who is there, that seems a definite possibility."

He paused. Choza had raised a hand. Asuma gestured that he should speak.

"Who are trapped?"

"Itachi, Kisame, Haku, Dan, Hamaki, Terai, Fu, Ran, Kazuki, Kuuya and Haru. We know that Gai, Akemi, Rin, Hoshi, Keizo, Yuki, Yasushi and Yoshimi were captured by the Akatsuki when the Sakura was boarded. The assumption is that at least the captured kits are on the ship that jumped out of the system. We know how much Orochimaru wants them."

There was a low growl from Kiba. Biwako lifted a finger.

"Is there anything new from the Dart or the Maple?" she asked.

"The Dart should be jumping into the system where the Silver Leaf is today," Shikamaru reminded them. "The Maple is four days out of Tarrasade." He looked at Asuma, willing him not to explore the possibilities with Izuna at the table.

Asuma nodded. "I am going to end this briefing early. I shall spend the rest of the afternoon getting up to speed and we will share the latest news at tonight's evemeal. Perhaps you would do us the honour of joining us, Izuna-sama."

Izuna gave another surprisingly convincing smile. "The honour is mine, Asuma-san. I accept."

Shikamaru suffered an involuntary pang of regret as he watched Izuna leave. Izuna was as beautiful as Sasuke and as graceful as Itachi. If only he had the character of either.

Moegi, Tenten and Keitaro attempted to linger but Asuma waved them away.

"Fifteen minutes," Moegi warned. "Shika-san, he needs to rest."

Shikamaru nodded.

They waited until everyone was gone and the door was closed.

"We are sworn to Uchiha," Shikamaru began.

Asuma frowned. "We are sworn to Uchiha," he agreed.

"Izuna Uchiha is a full-blood Uchiha," Shikamaru continued. "He was never declared dead. The strictest reading of the spacer code could support the notion that he is Uchiha-sama and all those since have been merely acting Uchiha-sama."

"He is a full-blood Uchiha, he was never declared dead and he was once Uchiha-sama. These are facts," Asuma conceded, "but I would contest that reading of the spacer code."

"Believe me, so would I," Shikamaru assured him.

"Where are we?" Asuma asked.

"The Akatsuki knows things about us they should not," Shikamaru began. "They knew where the Oak would be and when. From Sasuke-sama's message it is clear that they know we have a method of communicating across ungated holes. I know that Neji was offered to the Hyuga before the attack at the Arts Centre."

Asuma's eyebrows rose. "You know?"

Shikamaru said nothing.

"Kakashi told me never to ask you for details," Asuma admitted. He moved on. "This is not like with Ranmaru. This is current information."

"Which means that the news that Sasuke-sama is alive and has escaped the trap is probably on its way to the Akatsuki," Shikamaru pointed out.

There was silence. Shikamaru knew that neither of them would say it or even hint at it. Accusing a full-blood Uchiha, Izuna Uchiha no less, of treachery was unacceptable.

Not that it was treachery if he were Uchiha-sama. If he were Uchiha-sama he could do anything he wished. If he were Uchiha-sama the only proper way of stopping him was for another full-blood Uchiha to challenge him and win.

Then Asuma smiled. "Is it possible that the Akatsuki planted bugs we cannot detect during the last raid?"

Shikamaru's spirits lifted. He did not believe it for a moment but the suggestion opened up all manner of possibilities. "They could have utterly new technology that is impossible to detect."

"It would be a reason to move all decision making away from the household."

"From the compound," Shikamaru suggested.

"From Tarrasade," added Asuma.

It was an excellent idea.

Luck was with them; the Maple's route had crossed with a minigate string. There was a twelve minute delay but messages could be exchanged in real time.

But before he contacted Kakashi, Shikamaru had a call to make and a message to send. He settled into his desk and activated the communication interface.

"Garner-san," he acknowledged as soon as the familiar face appeared.

"_Shikamaru-san. Is there any news of Neji-san? What of the Oak? Is there anything behind the rumours?"_

Shikamaru was touched by Garner Parrad's concern. He had never been sure what their relationship would be like once Klenn had gone. "Things are not good," he admitted. "I apologise that I cannot share all the details."

"_I understand,"_ Garner assured him. _"What can I do for you, Shikamaru-san?"_

"I need a ship with an improver and a Mulligan drive," Shikamaru admitted.

Garner frowned slightly. _"You have three __such ships, Shikamaru-san, as does Uchiha__."_

"My three are too far away," Shikamaru admitted. "As are Uchiha's two."

Garner paled. _"Only two?"_ he queried. _"So it is true about the Oak? What of Haru-chan?"_

Shikamaru abandoned caution. He needed that ship. "Stuck on a planet in a system where the only mapped hole is blocked from the inside with an Orochimaru print hunting him. Garner-san, I need a ship with an improver and a Mulligan drive."

"_The Renaissance will be at the Uchiha private dock by station dawn tomorrow."_

The Renaissance was the larger of Klenn's two yachts; the one he had used when he had wanted to travel with staff. It even had guest apartments. "Surely...?" Shikamaru began.

"_It is mothballed, Shika-san."_

Shikamaru understood. Garner was not using it; he probably could not bear to be on it. Luck was again with him; it could have been stored on Elessen rather than in Tarrasade. "Thank you, Garner-san."

"_I shall see you tomorrow morning, Shika-san. We will need to sort out the security settings."_

Shikamaru's initial communication to the Maple drew a video reply. Kakashi had Iruka beside him and Shikamaru found himself yearning to be with them.

Kakashi began. _"I agree with you and Asuma that Sasuke-sama's message means we must reconsider our priorities. Having a mobile command centre will be an advantage, as will being further out. We understand that not completing the journey to Tarrasade will save eight days, which may prove to be crucial."_

"_Are you certain you will be safe on an outsider's ship with an outsider crew?" _Iruka added. _"I know it is being arranged by Garner Parrad, but even so."_

Shikamaru hadn't exactly said there was crew but he knew that the wording in his message would leave them thinking that. He hoped that Iruka and the others would forgive him when he found out that there wasn't.

Kakashi frowned. _"I thought about insisting that someone from Uchiha accompany you but you are correct, no one suitable can be spared. Be careful, Shika-kun. I have sent a message to Asuma."_

"_We look forward to seeing you and Sumiko-chan face-to-face,"_ Iruka added.

Shikamaru recorded and sent a reply that was full of honest sentiment but short on facts. Then he pinged Sai.

"Shika-san," Sai replied immediately.

"Sai-kun. Do you have anything to tell me? Please prioritise."

There was a pause before Sai answered. "I have found the message going to the Akatsuki. It was heavily coded and appeared uninteresting, so the original has gone and I am unable to retrieve it. I shall know what to look for next time."

"Do we know who sent it?"

"No. It was an over-the-counter transaction at the Stellar Exchange paid for with gold credits and sent from a secure booth. I know when it was sent and from which booth and the counter and the person on duty. Are there secret cameras, Shika-san?"

"No, there are no secret cameras," Shikamaru replied. He knew because he owned the Stellar Exchange and he had forbidden their introduction. "Give me what you have and I will get a flesh and blood operative onto it."

Sai picked up on his choice of words. "Am I an operative, Shika-san?"

"I believe you are, Sai-kun. Excellent work. Is there anything else?"

"I have integrated the cosmological data that was included in Sasuke-sama's message into our model and there are two other holes in the system where Haru and Ran and Kazuki are trapped."

Shikamaru wished that Sai had a flesh and blood body so that he could be hugged and kissed. "You are a genius, Sai-kun. Can we use them? Can we get to them?"

"I am not a genius. I think many times more quickly than a flesh and blood brain. It is impossible to tell the quality of the holes so we do not know if one or both can be jumped with or without an improver."

"Does either of them connect to a known hole?" Shikamaru demanded.

"One does. The other does not. Shall I show you the topological map for the one that does?"

Shikamaru swallowed. "Yes please, Sai-kun." He shut his eyes. How far would it be? How long would it take? If they got there, would they be able to jump the hole?

"I have displayed the three best routes, Shika-san. Are you going to open your eyes?"

Shikamaru forced himself to look.

It could have been a lot worse; the Maple could make it in thirty days provided the crew could cope with twenty-two jumps.

* * *

.

* * *

The evening meal was lively and informal. No one sat in their proper places. People interrupted each other, even more senior crew members. There were inappropriate displays of affection.

Madara recited poetry in his head to stay calm and anticipated a vigorous session with the practice dummy.

He told himself that it could be worse. He was given the place of honour. The Scavenger was not there. No one dared interrupt him. The food was utterly delicious; Choza had excelled himself.

Then Asuma brought him up to date, as promised, and the food was suddenly tasteless.

Shikamaru was leaving at station dawn the next day.

Apparently the Maple had changed direction and was already heading outwards. Shikamaru had passage on an ally's ship to rendezvous with them. He was taking Sumiko with him.

"Are you sure that is wise, Asuma-san?" Madara asked. "Allowing Shikamaru-san to travel on a non-Uchiha craft?"

"We have consulted with Kakashi-san, and the decision has been made," Asuma replied with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

Madara wondered if Shikamaru remembered more of the aborted seduction than he claimed. If he had told Asuma, it might explain his sudden departure.

Or perhaps it was merely, as Asuma had indicated, that Kakashi wished to set up the Maple as a mobile command centre and Shikamaru was required.

He listened carefully but there was no detail of the ally or the ship.

As soon as the meal was over, he escaped to the sanctuary of his apartment. Once there, he sank into his chair at Izuna's desk.

The setback was Orochimaru's fault. He had trusted the ambush to one of his prints and the print had failed spectacularly.

One day Orochimaru would pay for squandering such an opportunity. Madara allowed himself a short fantasy in which he obliterated the Akatsuki, specifically Orochimaru, in revenge for Sasuke Uchiha's death.

That would update Izuna Uchiha's image nicely.

Meanwhile he had work to do; a new strategy to devise.

* * *

.

* * *

Kiba looked at Haru's simulator and scowled.

"You want to take that?" he queried.

Shikamaru tried his best sheepish look. "It has the best processors," he explained.

Choza laid a hand on his arm. "I am sure we can find a transport crate that is large enough." He checked the height, width and depth. "I'll go find one."

Kiba waited until Choza left and the door slid shut behind him. ""I want to go with you. I can protect you. I can look after Sumiko."

From Shikamaru's point of view, it wasn't such a bad idea. However, Kiba had duties. "You have the new litter to look after."

"The team is doing really well. The babies have bonded to their key carers, as we planned. I am not a key carer, as we planned. Biwako can oversee them. She will enjoy that and it is not difficult physical work so she will be fine. Moegi can help her. Hana would be available as back up. They can go to the experts at the orphanage on Sublevel C if they need more help. Shika-san, what will you do with Su-chan if you are busy? Pod her?"

The last argument hit home. "What about Choza?"

Kiba's shoulders slumped. "He cannot come. Asuma needs him." He paused. Dark eyes studied Shikamaru's face. "We worry about Izuna-sama."

"We all worry about Izuna-sama," Shikamaru admitted. He weighed the argument; the advantages far outweighed the drawbacks. "You and Choza go speak with Asuma. I'll contact Kakashi."

Between the three of them they managed it; everything Shikamaru wanted to take was crated and secured in docking bay two by the time the Renaissance arrived.

They watched her approach from the viewing deck; the docking bay would take fifteen minutes to pressurise.

"That is some ship," Konohamaru observed. "Look at how sleek she is, Su-chan."

Sumiko was still sulking. When she had gone to sleep she was off on an adventure with just her Nii-san and Sai. Waking up, she had discovered that Kiba-san was coming too,

"She is very pretty," Su-chan admitted grudgingly.

As soon as the bay was pressurised, Kiba and Hana started loading the crates through the larger of the Renaissance's two airlocks. Shikamaru left Su-chan saying her goodbyes and went to speak with Garner Parrad, who was waiting just inside the smaller airlock.

Garner did not look good. Shikamaru suspected that being on the ship was painful. He decided to keep it simple.

"Thank you for this."

"Maybe I should thank you," Garner admitted. "It made me face up to things I had been avoiding. Miriam and I had to clear out all his things."

Shikamaru felt terrible.

"We should have done it divs ago. We also removed all the major pieces of Art. She's a great craft, Shika-san. She may look like some rich man's toy, but she is far more than that."

Shikamaru knew; he had helped Klenn finalise her specs. Not that he intended to remind Garner of that.

"You use her to bring Haru-chan home," Garner added; his tone suddenly fierce. "Klenn would like that."

Asuma had not made it to the docking bay; Keitaro brought his apologies. Shikamaru was not surprised; Asuma had pushed himself too hard the day before. He was also grateful, because no one else felt it their place to ask to speak to the captain of the Renaissance and the illusion that there was a crew persisted.

Finally the airlocks were closed and the docking bay depressurising. Kiba and Sumiko went exploring the accommodation while he and Garner made their way to the control room.

Every surface spoke of Klenn. Every fitting announced that it had been chosen by him. Every item sang his song. It hurt. Shikamaru was amazed that Garner could stay on the ship for more than a few minutes.

"It gets easier," Garner assured him. "In some ways, it is a comfort."

Shikamaru imagined living in Klenn's apartment in Prime, or in the residence on Elessen. He did not think he could do it. It was less painful to go on; to allow the memories rest and become dormant.

There again, he had never loved Klenn the way Garner had.

The next hundred minutes were manically busy as he was briefed by Garner and battled to integrate his systems with Klenn's.

Garner left by shuttle. Kiba brought Sumiko to the control room to update him. Apparently rooms had been chosen and Sumiko's clothes, toys and gadgets had been unpacked.

Shikamaru noticed that she had an earpiece in. On her top was pinned the miniature microphone and camera he had given her.

"I am keeping a journal of the adventure," she announced. "Kiba-san thinks it is a really good idea."

It was a clever one, because it offered an explanation for why she was wearing the equipment. He wondered if it was hers or Sai's.

He waited until Kiba had taken Sumiko away to 'help' in the galley. "You linked in yet, Sai-kun?"

"Yes. As you suggested, there is already a network of cameras and microphones throughout the ship. Sumiko is disappointed that she will not be able to have projectors. Projectors are not consistent with keeping my existence secret from Kiba-san."

"I did not say that Sumiko could have projectors," Shikamaru pointed out.

"She knows that but she hoped. It is good that Kiba-san is here. He will look after Sumiko. There is a small craft approaching. Is it expected?"

Shikamaru smiled. "Yes, it is expected."

He put the ship on autopilot and hurried to the bay. The shuttle had docked by the time he arrived. Shikamaru shut the bay doors, began the pressurisation process and hopped impatiently from foot to foot.

Finally the dials crept into the blue zone. Shikamaru yanked the door open and then hesitated, uncertain of his reception and embarrassed by the presence of a third person, particularly one with the perceptive powers of a Hyuga.

Strong arms wrapped around him. "Shika, my Shika," the longed-for voice whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Ne-chan," he sighed.

* * *

.


	33. Intimidation

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to cynder81, mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, melissen, donalgraeme, black55widow and Whispering-Softly for reviewing this version and mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**33: Intimidation**

* * *

Haru stared at the display. His mouth dried. His gut twisted. He could feel his nails digging into his palms.

The image was so wrong that it was hard to believe it was true.

Yoshimi was kneeling submissively at the side of the Orochimaru print's chair. He was facing the camera but his head was bowed. His hands were resting on his knees.

Orochimaru was fondling his hair, which wasn't the right colour. Yo-chan's fur was less golden than that.

"_Look up for the camera,"_ Orochimaru ordered.

Yoshimi reluctantly raised his head. His cheeks were pink and Haru realised he was embarrassed or maybe ashamed. He looked different.

All twelve of his whiskers had gone. Their absence and the golden hair made him look like Keizo.

His eyes looked so sad.

Both Kazuki and Kuuya were growling.

Dan-san moved towards the display. He and Kazuki had struck a deal after the antenna had been installed; they could watch and listen to Itachi-san's duels with the Orochimaru print provided they did not argue if Dan-san or Haku-san turned off the display or the speakers.

Kazuki snapped at him, warning him away from the switch.

"Kazu-kun!" Dan-san chided but for once Ka-chan did not back down. Haru knew that Dan-san would have to physically subdue him.

Haru's attention went back to the screen, gathering as much detail as he could before Dan-san got past Ka-chan and switched it off. Yo-chan had a new collar. It was wider; for show as well as function. Haru had no doubt that it contained a controller; Yoshimi was a berserker like To-chan.

On it was written 'Orochimaru's little bitch'.

"_He's twelve, you perverted, sick excuse for a human,"_ Itachi-san roared.

Haru knew Papa would have reacted differently. Papa would have been incoherent with rage. He would have been like when Haru had smashed his tablet against Papa's desk but a hundred times worse.

Only the Orochimaru print didn't know that. He was satisfied by the reaction he had evoked. He tightened his grip on Yoshimi's hair and tilted his head back so that Yo-chan was facing him.

"_Perfect,"_ Orochimaru pronounced.

The screen went blank; Haku-san had got to the switch while Kazuki was watching Dan-san. Ka-chan turned on him.

Haku-san held up a finger. "Don't you dare growl or snap at me, Kazuki Uchiha."

Ka-chan backed down and his ears dipped. "I am sorry, Haku-san." He turned to Dan-san. "I apologise, Dan-san."

"Apology accepted, Kazuki-kun, but we go back to you youngsters not watching or listening to Orochimaru."

"You would have told us," Kuuya checked, his voice little more than a whisper. "You wouldn't have kept it from us."

Haku-san looked directly into Kuu-chan's eyes. "I promise I would tell you. We want to protect you from that monster's mind games, not to keep you from knowing the facts."

"I thought Yo-chan was on the ship that jumped through the hole," Ran murmured.

"We all assumed that," Dan-san admitted.

Haru remembered the dyed fur and missing whiskers; Orochimaru must consider Keizo the most attractive. The print had sent Keizo to the original Orochimaru but kept Yoshimi because Yoshimi, like Keizo, didn't have fangs. Then he had made Yoshimi look like Keizo.

"What if Yasushi went through the hole?" Kuuya whispered.

Haru's gut twisted anew. Yoshimi and Yasushi were never apart. Even Kiba-san had given up trying to make them independent of each other.

Then again, if Yasushi had gone through the hole Papa and To-chan might have rescued him by now.

"The freak pulled out his whiskers," Kazuki growled.

Haru was worried about worse things than whiskers; he was imagining Yoshimi bonded to the Orochimaru print.

He was still worrying about it as he lay wide-awake in his bed that afternoon. They slept in the afternoon to cope with the double-length days and, usually, Haru had no problem doing so.

This time was different.

He could hear the others sleeping; the growly edge when Ka-chan inhaled and the quieter sounds made by Kuuya and Ran.

Haru wasn't surprised that they could sleep when he could not. Kazuki and Kuuya had been out with the gatherers for most of the morning; they had only just returned in time for Orochimaru and Itachi-san's exchange.

As for Ran, Haru knew that he found being bombarded by the toad hybrids' emotions exhausting.

What was happening to Yoshimi? How much of what they had seen had been for show? He recalled Yo-chan's face. Was he embarrassed because of the collar and sad because he was missing Yasushi? Or was he ashamed and wretched because Orochimaru had already stolen what should be special between people who loved each other?

Haru didn't want to think about it. He tried focusing on Ka-chan's breathing; that usually sent him to sleep. Instead he found himself listening to the drips; splat, splat, spl-splat, splat, spl-spl-splat, splat.

He got up; once he started analysing the patterns it was hopeless.

He pulled on a pair of shorts, crept out of the sleeping alcove and made his way to the room that Gamariki had set aside for him to work in.

On the table sat the receiver/recorder, which was now connected to the antenna that ran up to the surface. Haru stared at the recorder, briefly considering defying Dan-san and playing the rest of the exchange between Orochimaru and Itachi-san.

No, they had promised; an Uchiha did not break promises.

Against the walls were boards on which he could write; they only had six power cells with them so Haru was conserving energy. They had solar cells, but Dan-san had decided leaving them on the surface increased the risk of detection.

Haru was thinking about building a dynamo; Kazuki and Kuuya were so desperate for physical activity that they would be happy to turn it. Finding the components would be a challenge. They couldn't go back to the ship; the Akatsuki had been there. Haru knew because the transmissions from the cameras and from the Lancet were jammed.

He wondered if the Lancet was still in one piece; she would self-destruct if someone tried to board her without the correct security codes.

His eyes went to the board showing what he had learned about monitoring the enemy's radio traffic. The signals were scrambled, but Haru had written a programme to decrypt them.

The Akatsuki had yet to work out that there were sentient inhabitants. Most of the radio traffic had been about swamps, crocodiles, snakes and minkies misbehaving or getting eaten.

"Haru-kun."

He jumped and turned. It was Haku-san. His hair was down and he was wearing a snakeskin sarong.

"I couldn't sleep," Haru admitted.

"I can see that. Do you want to come to the kitchen and have a hot drink?"

Gamariki would be in or near the kitchen. Haru imagined being cuddled and petted. "I'll go back to bed," he volunteered.

"And lie there awake," Haku-san pointed out. He sat down on one of the stools and gestured towards another.

Haru moved reluctantly towards it and perched on the edge.

"What do you know about your otosan's childhood?" Haku-san asked. "Naruto-san's childhood," he clarified.

Haru's mind began whirling. Why was Haku-san asking that? "He grew up feral, like Ran. He spent some time in an orphanage but didn't like it, so he ran away and joined a ship's crew."

"Not the Silver Leaf," Haku-san prompted.

"No. Another ship," Haru agreed. He thought about it. To-chan had always been vague about the details but Haru had picked a fragment here and a hint there. "There was more than one ship."

"Yes," Haku-san agreed. "And what do you know about traditional spacer crews, Haru-kun?"

Haru felt himself flush. "He would be the cat." Why was Haku-san getting him to think about To-chan being a cat?

Then the pieces fell into place. "He never bonded to anyone before Papa."

Haku-san smiled.

Haru felt much, much better. Even if Orochimaru forced himself on Yoshimi, even if Yo-chan didn't have any choice but to submit, it didn't mean Yo-chan would bond to that monster.

"Thank you, Haku-san."

"You are welcome, Haru-kun. Now, are you sure you do not want that drink?"

"No thank you, Haku-san. I will go back to bed."

He tried to creep back into his sleeping alcove without waking the others but two pairs of bright blue eyes were watching him as he approached.

Kazuki gave a tiny interrogative yelp and Kuuya sat up.

"Couldn't sleep," Haru whispered. "Don't wake Ran."

"He's fast asleep," Kuuya observed. He shifted towards the back of his sleeping alcove. "Room in here for two little ones."

"Less of the little," Kazuki growled but neither he nor Haru needed a second invitation. The three of them packed into the alcove. Haru wriggled in between his brothers; it was damp and they were sweaty but he did not care.

"What did Haku-san say to you?" Kuu-chan asked.

Haru wasn't surprised; the kits' hearing was amazing.

"He got me to remember that To-chan had catted on more than one crew, so I would worry less about Yo-chan."

Kazuki growled and Kuuya went still. "Weird thought," he admitted. "To-chan fucking someone other than Papa."

Haru gave a squeak of protest. "Don't!" he objected.

"You brought it up," Kuuya reminded him.

"I didn't say 'fucking'," Haru pointed out.

Ka-chan gave a small snort. "You're so prissy sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Kuu-chan queried.

"I'm not," Haru objected. "I'm just..."

"Romantic," Kazuki supplied. "Hand-holding and kisses."

Haru felt himself blushing.

Kuuya chuckled and patted his head. "No wonder Gamariki thinks you're such a cutie. Who's first on your list, Ka-chan?"

"List?" Haru queried.

"People we want to fuck when Papa gives us the go-ahead," Kuuya explained.

Kazuki tickled Haru's ribs. "List. It's not like you don't have one, Ha-chan. Ran. Five."

Kuuya chuckled. "Five?"

Haru knew he was tomato-red. "Ka-chan!"

"Five is playing the long game. He is planning a threesome with Ran and Haru," Kazuki explained.

Kuuya growled. "Only if he proves to be as good as Kakashi-san thinks he'll be. Spill it, Kazu-chan."

Kazuki sighed. "What's there to say? There are hardly any women in the crew and all of them are attached."

"Except Misora and Shizune," Kuuya reminded him.

"Misora isn't going to let me fuck her. Kamatari perhaps, but not me. As for Shizune, she's not interested in men."

It was true and all three of them knew it.

"It has to be a woman?" Haru asked.

"Breasts," Kazuki stated, as if that explained everything. "What about you, Kuu-chan?"

"Not fussy," Kuu-chan admitted.

"Who do you fancy most?" Ka-chan pressed.

Kuuya sighed. "You'll laugh," he warned. "Haku-san."

"Ew!" Haru could not help it.

"I bet he's an amazing fuck," Ka-chan admitted.

"Eeewww!" Haru really, really didn't want to think about that but suddenly he was remembering Haku-san with his hair down and how low the snakeskin sarong has been riding on his hips.

Which brought his thoughts back to their conversation and Yoshimi. Suddenly it felt wrong that they were gossiping when Yo-chan was been pawed, or worse, by a monster.

Kuuya hugged him. "We're thinking about him too."

"Brooding on it won't help," Kazuki added. "Not getting caught so that Itachi-san can concentrate on Yo-chan helps."

"Getting some sleep would help," Ran added from the other side of the room. "If the three of you would shut up."

"Yes, Ran-san," Kazuki replied. "Anything you say, Ran-san."

Haru poked him in the ribs. "Ran's right. Shut up or Haku-san will hear and we'll get a lecture."

"Or extra chores," Kuuya added.

After that they settled down. Kuuya didn't seem to mind them staying, so Haru drifted off to sleep sandwiched between his brothers.

Next thing he knew, Kuuya and Kazuki were gone and Ran was shaking him awake.

"We're packing up and moving out."

Haru blinked at him. "Where to? Now?"

Ran looked close to tears. "The Akatsuki have found one of the other tribes. They killed ten of them and told them that any tribe found sheltering us would be eliminated. That tribe told the others, like Orochimaru wanted. Gama-sama's told Dan-san that we have to go. Gamariki tried arguing that we should be able to stay until morning but Gama-sama isn't willing to take the risk."

None of the Gama went out at night. Night was when the crocodiles and the snakes were at their most active.

Haru's mind was full of what he needed to do. Top priority was packing all the electronics into waterproof containers.

"We are only going to be able to take what we can carry," Ran added. "Dan-san is hoping that Gama-sama will agree to dump the rest where we can find it rather than sinking it in deep water."

Haru's gut churned. The priority would have to be weapons and medical supplies. Ran was in shorts rather than his survival suit, so Haru dragged on a pair and followed Ran into the shared area.

Gamariki froze when he saw him. The huge violet eyes blinked once and then again. He then uttered a huge croak and was beside him.

Haru had just decided that Gamariki had jumped when he was swept up and carried out of the burrow into the late afternoon gloom.

Gamariki moved using a series of hops, skips and jumps and it was proving to be a remarkably quick way of covering the ground. Haru could hear Dan-san shouting. Over Gamariki's shoulder he could see Kazuki in pursuit.

"Where are we going, Gamariki-san?" he asked.

Gamariki replied but it was all croaks and Haru did not understand.

A short time outside and they entered another burrow. There were huge hunters like Gamabunta at the entrance but Gamariki yelled at them and they stood aside.

This burrow was much bigger and less cosy; as if people worked there rather than lived there.

They were leaping along a high, wide corridor. At the end were two hunters that Haru did recognise; Gamaken and Gamahiro.

There was little doubt that they could have stopped Gamariki if they had tried, only they didn't.

In the chamber beyond was the biggest person Haru had ever seen. He was twice the size of Kisame-san, half again as big as Gamabunta.

Haru swallowed; it had to be Gama-sama. He was sitting cross-legged, which was good because if he had been standing he would have been even scarier. He had orange skin and blue markings.

Gama-sama roared his displeasure at Gamariki. It was loud. It echoed off the walls. Haru could feel it vibrating every fibre of his body.

Gamariki did not answer. Instead he placed Haru on his feet about twelve paces from Gama-sama and backed away.

Haru looked up at the huge man. This was not a time to show fear. He stood up straight and stuck his chin out. "My name is Haru Uchiha. It is an honour to meet you, Gama-sama."

There was no second roar. Gama-sama was studying him. It could be worse. Haru began to think about what to do next.

Then a silver blur went past him and took up a fighting stance between him and the massive toad hybrid. Kazuki's fur was bristling and his teeth were bared. He was growling.

Haru shut his eyes and imagined Kazuki's body crushed in a giant hand or slamming against the wall of the chamber.

Another sound; equally loud but not so intimidating. Haru risked opening an eye.

Gama-sama was laughing.

"Be polite, Ka-chan," Haru hissed.

Kazuki considered. Haru could see him deciding that if Gama-sama was laughing, he was unlikely to attack. He stood next to Haru and bowed.

"I am Kazuki Uchiha," he announced.

Gama-sama stopped laughing and spoke in the 'old way'. "I who his name gave up am. He who the tribe leads. I must my people protect. Akatsuki without provocation kill. You must go." He paused, looking at Haru. "You can until morning stay."

Haru took a deep breath. "Thank you, Gama-sama."

Huge yellow eyes blinked at him. "I shall you remember, Haru Uchiha and Kazuki Uchiha."

Gamahiro walked them back to the youngster's burrow. Haru wondered about Gamariki. How much trouble was he in?

"What's the point of being remembered once we're a crocodile's snack?" Kazuki grumbled.

Haru glanced up at Gamahiro. "Gama-sama is doing what he thinks is best for his clan, like Papa would."

Kazuki snorted. "Appeasement will never work against Orochimaru."

Gamariki's intervention had won them a long, local night. By the time dawn was approaching, they were rested, fed, packed and clad in their suits. They had maps that Haru had annotated using the data stored in his array. Everything they could not carry was going to be hidden at designated points chosen by Gamahiro, Gamaken and Gamabunta.

Kichi and Tatsu had helped them pack and were now standing, miserably, waiting to say goodbye. Haru was wondered where Gamariki was when he appeared. His colourful skin was covered in a hooded snakeskin suit. On his back was a pack, a huge knife and a spear.

"I with you come," he announced. "I you guide."

Kichi and Tatsu broke out into a flurry of croaks. Tatsu looked as if he was going to cry. Gamariki gave them both a hug and kissed the tops of their heads.

"Gamariki," Dan-san began.

"Not Gamariki," Gamariki corrected him. "Not Gama. Just Riki."

Whatever that meant, it was significant, because both Kichi and Tatsu started to cry. Tatsu ran to Gamariki and clasped him about the waist, burying his head in his chest.

"Riki-san," Dan-san started again. "We cannot accept your kind offer."

Gamariki, Riki, looked at him. "Done. No back go." He pushed Tatsu away gently, crouched down and spoke to him and to Kichi in their everyday language.

Haru did not have to understand to follow it. Be good. Look after your little brother. I am proud of you. Never forget that I love you. All the things Kiba-san would have said to them in the same situation.

Or maybe what To-chan would have said; Haru wasn't sure if Gamariki was their guardian or their parent.

Had Gama-sama thrown him out of the tribe because he had argued? Was this the price of their extra night?

Then they were off. Riki-san was on point with Kazuki. Dan-san and Kuuya were the rearguard. Between were Haru, Ran and Haku-san.

They emerged from the burrow into the morning mist. Around them were what Haru had come to recognise as the tribe's fields and gardens.

Riki-san headed towards the sunrise, towards the wilderness. The others followed.

Haru found himself hesitating. Ran turned back and smiled at him.

He smiled back and began walking.

* * *

.


	34. Bonds

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to cynder81, mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, melissen, donalgraeme, black55widow and Whispering-Softly for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**34: Bonds**

* * *

Sasuke stared at Yasushi's pod.

They had began heading back to the hole as soon as they had realised Yoshimi's pod was missing.

Yoshimi was with the Orochimaru print. It had focused Sasuke's mind. Pursuing the original Orochimaru could wait. They needed to link up with the rest of Uchiha and plan on how to rescue Yoshimi and the others who were trapped.

They had faced impossible situations before. Shikamaru had always come up with a solution. He would this time, Sasuke was certain of it.

He looked at Naruto. "Wouldn't it be...?"

"No," Naruto replied before he could finish. "We are not leaving the children podded and we are unpodding Ya-chan first." His whiskers drooped. "We have discussed this and come to a decision. You agreed."

Sasuke nodded. Trouble was, he did not agree. He had given in.

It was heartbreaking. The first thing Yasushi did was look around for Yoshimi. Sasuke could see him wondering why they had not been unpodded at the same time.

"Ya-chan, sweetie..." Naruto began.

It was not the best start. Yasushi knew immediately something was wrong. "Where's Yo-chan?" he demanded.

Sasuke decided to intervene. "His pod wasn't with yours," he replied in his best 'Papa' voice; full of confidence and reassurance. "You were on the ship that jumped through the hole, the ship we piggybacked on. Yo-chan wasn't. He is still in the other system, like Haru and Kazuki and Kuuya."

Yasushi's whiskers drooped and he looked puzzled. "But Yo-chan was on the Sakura with me. Ha-chan, Ka-chan and Kuuya were on the Lancet."

"Rin-san, Akemi-kun and Yo-chan must have stayed in the other system," Naruto told him. "We don't know what happened, Ya-chan. We were expecting eight pods and there were only five."

Yasushi looked from Naruto to him and then back to Naruto. "They may have escaped. Or maybe Itachi-san rescued them," he suggested.

"Maybe," Naruto agreed. "Or perhaps some neko forgot to transfer all the pods."

Sasuke half-wished Naruto had stopped after 'maybe' but he knew that it was unwise to raise Ya-chan's hopes. At least he had said 'perhaps some neko forgot to transfer all the pods' rather than 'the Orochimaru print kept him to play with'.

He would not shudder; Yasushi would pick up on that like a flash.

"Let's unpod Hoshi and Yuki and Keizo," he said instead.

Unpodding the others distracted Yasushi, which was good. Sasuke hung back, watching Naruto hug and kiss them before he took his turn to embrace them.

Then they had to explain again that Yoshimi was missing. He watched the news sink in.

"I am sure that he is fine," Hoshi responded for Yasushi's behalf; Sasuke saw her eyes go to him, judging his reaction.

The other two followed her lead and swallowed their questions.

Next they had the challenge of finding clothing and footwear. Hoshi said she would go through the nekos' closets and Yuki quickly located a sewing machine.

Keizo and Yasushi looked horrified at the idea of helping with the alterations. It reminded Sasuke of his first day with Naruto, watching him struggle with the sewing machine.

He took pity on them. "Kei-chan, Ya-chan, locate suits for everyone," he instructed. "Don't forget Gai-san, we don't want to be halfway into a battle before we find out nothing fits him. Then you can help your To-chan and Gai-san sort out the security and weapons systems. I want to be able to start running drills as soon as possible."

"We will have to go back to the Blossom for supplies," Naruto added. "Probably tomorrow. We could dock her properly at the same time. If you two can convince me you will be a help rather than a hindrance, I will take you along."

The two of them stood taller in an unconscious attempt to look efficient; Sasuke suppressed a smile.

"We will be having our evemeal at the usual time," Yuki added. ""Would it be possible for everyone to attend, Papa? Whoever is on watch could relay the console readings to a tablet."

Yuki behaving like a miniature version of Haku was so cute that Sasuke forgot to reply.

"Papa?" Yuki hinted.

"Yes, that will be fine, Yu-chan. I shall be with Gai-san in the control room. We will sort out a wireless link before the evemeal."

The ship's galley was merely a large alcove to store and heat food so Yuki had insisted that a table and seven chairs be brought from another room and set up in the shared area of the crew room.

Sasuke propped up the tablet on the side and took his place at the head of the table. It was touching that Yuki should be determined to establish a slice of home in the captured ship. It was wonderful to have him, Hoshi, Keizo and Yasushi safe.

Not that he had forgotten Haru, Kazuki, Kuuya, Yoshimi and the other crew members who were trapped. His fears for them lurked below the surface, colouring his feelings and complicating his thoughts.

Naruto started to tell the story of how they had taken the ship. He was describing the old minky dancing in zero gravity with his mop, followed by the chase when the old-old-red-eight had proved so difficult to catch.

It was even funnier in retrospect.

They finished up by explaining quickly how they had darted or gassed the rest of the crew before podding them.

"So the Orochimaru print was not on board, Sasuke-sama?" Gai queried.

Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes go to Yasushi and Sasuke wished he had primed Gai when they were together in the control room. "No," he said lightly, trying to make it sound insignificant.

Yasushi was frowning.

Yuki jumped up and went to get the dessert he had made using berries Hoshi had harvested from hydroponics. It was delicious and bowls were soon emptied.

Except Yasushi's, which remained full.

"So Yo-chan is with the Orochimaru print," he whispered.

"We don't know that, Ya-chan," Naruto answered gently.

Sasuke was assaulted by sad eyes and drooping whiskers. "It explains why he isn't here," Yasushi continued. "The print kept him."

"Ya-chan..." Sasuke began.

Yasushi ignored him. "Orochimaru could be fucking Yo-chan right now."

"That's enough!" Sasuke refused to contemplate it.

Yasushi was on his feet. "No it isn't!" He picked up his bowl and threw it against the wall. "Stop pretending everything is normal because it isn't."

Sasuke stood up. "Ya-chan, calm down. Getting upset isn't..."

He was going to say, "...going to help Yo-chan," but he did not get a chance. Ya-chan snarled, showing his fangs.

Then Naruto was on his feet with a growl that made the hairs on the back of Sasuke's neck stand on end.

Yasushi cowered; he whimpered and his whiskers drooped.

"What do you say to your father?" Naruto demanded; the growl still audible in his voice.

"I am sorry, Papa," Yasushi whispered.

"I forgive you," Sasuke said quickly. "We are all worried about Yo-chan but we understand that it is worst for you." He checked the others. Hoshi looked anxious. Yuki and Keizo were cowering slightly in response to Naruto's display of dominance.

Gai stood up, "Please excuse me, Sasuke-sama. I shall return to the control room." He bowed to Yuki. "Thank you, Yuki-kun, for such a delicious meal." He claimed the tablet and beat a hasty retreat.

Sasuke took a deep breath. Allowing Yasushi to brood about the possibilities was definitely a bad idea. "Let's clear the table and then talk," he suggested.

"I agree with Ya-chan," Sasuke began once they were settled around the empty table. "Pretending it isn't happening won't help anyone. No one still trapped in the system is safe and we know that Yo-chan and Akemi-kun and Rin-san have been captured." He took a deep breath. "What scares you most?" he asked.

"That Yo-chan will be killed," Hoshi stated.

Sasuke's gut twisted.

"That isn't what scares me most," Yuki admitted. "It's that Yo-chan will bond to Orochimaru. If that happens he'd be better off dead."

"Yuki!" Sasuke objected but looking from Yasushi to Naruto he realised that they both concurred.

"There are worse things than death," Naruto agreed. "Ya-chan, I do not think Yo-chan will bond to Orochimaru. Lots of bad things happened to me when I was about your age and I flipped occasionally but I never came close to bonding to anyone before your Papa."

"Even when you fucked?" Yasushi asked in a whisper.

"Even when I fucked," Naruto assured him. "I believe that there already has to be a relationship here..." He touched his temple. "...and here..." He touched his chest. "...before the bond can form. I also believe it has to be voluntary and cannot be forced." He looked at Sasuke. "A gift."

"The most precious gift," Sasuke echoed holding Naruto's gaze and hoping that he was right. Orochimaru might use brainwashing or drugs to force Yoshimi into the necessary state of mind so that the bond could be made.

Not that there was anything to be gained from saying so.

* * *

Shikamaru slid from the huge bed and stood for a moment studying Neji. He looked incredible sleeping with his hair spread out across the silken pillow; very much as if he belonged in the opulent surroundings of one of the Renaissance's guest suites.

Closer examination showed him too pale and slightly haggard. Like Asuma, he would have benefited from more time in the tank.

Shikamaru imagined Hinata balancing the risk to Neji's health against her need for information. As soon as the tipping point had been reached, Neji had been detanked.

He was glad she had been so calculating. He did not know what he would have done if he hadn't found Neji's message bobbing in the data streams. Could he have stood firm against Izuna for those five days without knowing that Neji was safe? He doubted it.

The head and the bathroom were as luxurious as the bedroom; every fixture and fitting announced that it had been chosen by someone for whom cost was irrelevant.

Luckily Klenn's eye for design and taste had equalled his wealth.

He showered before combining his hair through as he dried himself under the blowers. Then hair up, clothes on and earpiece in, he set out to face Sumiko.

She was not in her room, which was the second bedroom of the suite. Shikamaru hesitated, wondering where to try next.

"She's in the galley with Kiba-san," Sai told him.

Shikamaru jumped. Even though he was wearing a wireless earpiece and throat-mike, he had not anticipated Sai initiating a conversation.

"Where's that?" he asked; he had not paid much attention to anything other than the control room and Neji the day before.

It turned out that Sumiko had chosen one of the self-contained guest apartments for their accommodation. It had five bedrooms arranged into three suits, a galley, two shared areas, a gym and a formal reception room with its own viewing deck.

Su-chan and Kiba were in the galley. So was Hinata, whom Sumiko was regarding with undisguised suspicion.

"Sumiko does not like Hinata-san," Sai whispered in his ear.

Shikamaru could see that. He bowed. "Hinata-san, Kiba-san, Su-chan," he acknowledged.

"Nii-san!" Su-chan replied, jumping down from her chair to greet him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. "Where's Ne-chan?"

He kissed the top of her head. "He's still asleep. He's tired."

"Shikamaru-san," Hinata said in her soft voice.

"Breakfast, Shika-san?" Kiba asked. "There is a coffee maker," he added.

"That would be great, thank you," Shikamaru replied.

He studied Sumiko as he sipped his coffee, noting that the scowl she was directing at Hinata did not let up for even a moment. At least the coffee was amazing; one of the best he had ever tasted.

"I was surprised to see Neji-san and Hinata-san," Kiba hinted.

Shikamaru felt himself flush. "Yes, I was hoping that we could keep their presence a secret for the time being." He tried smiling at Sumiko. "It will be a nice surprise for Iruka-san and the others."

Her scowl deepened. "Information is leaking from the household in Tarrasade. Nii-san doesn't want the Akatsuki knowing we've got Ne-chan back."

Shikamaru shut his eyes briefly. Of course Sai would tell Sumiko everything; Shikamaru had not warned him otherwise.

"I understand, Shika-san," Kiba assured him. "Should I ask more about the leak?"

"It probably wouldn't be a good idea," he admitted.

"And the absence of a crew on this ship?"

"The autopilot is very sophisticated," Shikamaru assured him, adding 'especially with Sai keeping an eye on everything' in his head.

"And Hinata-san's presence? Not that you are not welcome, Hinata-san."

Hinata bowed and her lips moved very slightly; a feminine version of Neji's smile. "Thank you, Kiba-san."

Shikamaru decided to address everything at once. "I am trying to get everyone safely home and ensure that Sasuke-sama remains as Uchiha-sama. Please trust me, Kiba-san."

Kiba's dark eyes studied him and then he nodded.

It was relief. Shikamaru knew that he was bending his vow to breaking point with every thought and deed; he did not want to put others in the same situation.

After that there was silence; neither Kiba nor Hinata appeared to feel any obligation to converse and Su-chan was busy trying to vaporise Hinata with the sheer intensity of her gaze. Even Sai was quiet.

Shikamaru was contemplating another cup of coffee when Sumiko's frown vanished and she ran across the galley and through the open doorway into the adjacent shared area.

"Ne-chan! Ne-chan!"

Then she was back, setting a place for Neji and making tea. Shikamaru watched; intrigued. Occasionally Su-chan looked after him but never Neji. He wondered if it was because she had missed him but then he saw the sideways looks she was giving Hinata.

Sumiko was laying claim to him.

The notion amused him for all of a moment. Then he saw the looks that Neji and Hinata exchanged and his mind began generating possibilities. Was it merely friendship between two people who had spent their childhood together? Was there more? Had Neji really been too tired the previous night? Had anything already happened?

His gaze went to the ring on Neji's heart finger. No; Neji was too honourable for that.

Unlike him; he had crushed on Izuna. He had even allowed Izuna to touch him.

"Are you well, Shikamaru-san?" Hinata asked.

"You will get used to Shika," Neji replied for him. "The world inside his mind is far larger than ours."

He did not mind Neji answering for him; on the contrary it made him feel warm.

"Ne-chan and I look after Nii-san," Sumiko announced, scowling even more fiercely at Hinata.

Hinata looked directly at her, which was brave. "I can see that, Sumiko-chan. I can also see that you did a very good job of doing so while Neji-san was away. You are to be commended."

Su-chan's scowl faltered and she turned slightly pink but she did not reply and, to Shikamaru's relief, both Kiba and Neji took the prudent course and did not insist that she did so.

Shikamaru sipped a second cup of coffee. Kiba took Sumiko away to look over more of the ship. Hinata excused herself.

He warned Sai that he would be switching off and asked him not to eavesdrop.

"Shika," Neji whispered. "Talk to me."

Shikamaru did not know where to start. People he loved were in danger. He was not thinking properly because he didn't dare take down the partitions in his mind for fear of the backlash. He thought that Izuna Uchiha was plotting to become Uchiha-sama but could not say so because of his oath. He was even more worried than usual that Neji was going to realise how inadequate he was as a partner and turn to someone more worthy.

Then there was the artificial intelligence whom he and Haru had created and whose existence he had promised to keep secret.

He went for something that barely touched on any of those things. "We were lucky that so few people knew that Hinata was your cousin."

Neji studied him for a moment. "Even more so that she was willing to give up everything to save me," he admitted. "She says she never came to terms with what the Hyuga did to my mother."

"Or what they would do to you given the chance," Shikamaru suggested. "Thank the Lady she had been assigned back to Tarrasade."

"It was not luck," Neji informed him. "It took standards of planning and manoeuvring."

A small voice told Shikamaru that Hinata must have been driven by more than a childhood friendship. He decided to change the subject. "There is a leak from the compound. There was a message sent from the Stellar Exchange in Tarrasade saying that we had heard from Sasuke-sama."

Neji's eyes widened. "What about Sasuke-sama and Naruto? Orochimaru will be waiting for them."

"It's in hand," Shikamaru assured him. "The Dart will pursue the Akatsuki mothership. Inari won't stop until he knows Sasuke and Naruto have received our warning."

"Good," Neji acknowledged. "And the leak?"

"Asuma and I decided that we would act as if the Akatsuki had bugged the household during the raid."

"Have they?" Neji queried.

Shikamaru shrugged. He was determined not to discuss his suspicions. "The best news is that there is another hole into the system where Haru and the others are trapped. There was enough astronomical data in Sasuke's message to locate it."

It worked. Neji was distracted from discussing the leak. "Is it jumpable?"

"We don't know." He paused; he hated thinking about what had to come next, never mind talking about it. "I need to create and refine a plan."

Neji waited.

"But I'm not thinking straight," he confessed.

"You've been walling away your emotions."

Shikamaru never thought of it like that but Neji was right. It was fine when he used the partitions to divide his mind in order to think in parallel; the problems started when he used them to avoid unbearable thoughts.

"It would be a good time to take them down," he admitted. "I know that the others are alive. You are back. I don't have to worry about Izuna-sama."

Neji's eyes darkened. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Shikamaru lied.

He could see Neji deciding to let it go, at least for now. "You had better record everything I might need to know in case we have to resort to sedation."

Shikamaru imagined being trapped inside his mind with no one to anchor him to reality. "No sedation, Neji. You have to promise."

"But..."

"Promise me, Neji. However bad it gets, I have to stay conscious." He could see Neji was unconvinced. "Neji, sedating me might make it easier for you but it will make it a thousand times worse for me."

Neji stiffened.

"Promise," Shikamaru insisted.

"I promise."

He chose what had to have been Klenn's private viewing deck. It had been stripped but Shikamaru would have known from the amazing, crystal-clear dome.

As he sank into the chair he wondered that Garner should have left it. The shape, the smell of the leather, they spoke Klenn's name.

He wished Naruto was there. No matter what, Naruto could anchor him.

"I may need for you to hold me," he warned.

Neji nodded. He knelt down facing the chair; the sentinel.

Shikamaru leaned back and looked out at the familiar starscape. Tarrasade was so very beautiful.

At first he went slowly. A partition was lowered and his conscious mind shuddered under the lash of the released emotions. Despair churned; he could taste the fear.

The second was worse; the third a little less so.

He was dimly aware of memories melding but he was too agitated to think.

The fourth, fifth and sixth followed in swift succession. He was barely in control; clinging on as the maelstrom built. He was still connected to reality. He could see the stars through his tears. He could smell the leather. He could feel Neji's hands on his knees.

Behind the seventh was Izuna: the suffocating closeness; that touch; his desire for Sasuke twisted and deformed; the belated realisation that what Izuna had intended had been nothing short of rape.

He heaved; coffee and acid surging up his gullet and into his throat.

There was a split moment when he knew that all the other partitions were splintering. He whimpered as the remains of his control shredded.

And he was lost. Caught up in the maelstrom. Battered by anger and guilt; fear and despair; self-loathing and grief.

Beaten by blows he could not avoid.

Scourged by whips of his own making.

A wave of sensation and then another: a lifeline connecting his mind to his body; new, raw emotions; feelings that he was never meant to control.

He was on the floor: skin to skin; wrapped in Neji's hair; their limbs entwined.

Lips released their purchase on his neck. Neji breathed into his ear, "Shika."

His mind had been swept clear; it was blissfully empty.

Shikamaru looked up and saw the stars.

* * *

.


	35. Hazards

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, melissen, donalgraeme, black55widow, Whispering-Softly and cynder81 for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 4: Parry**

**35: Hazards**

* * *

_Then they were off. Riki-san was on point with Kazuki. Dan-san and Kuuya were the rearguard. Between were Haru, Ran and Haku-san._

_They emerged from the burrow into the morning mist. Around them were what Haru had come to recognise as the tribe's fields and gardens._

_Riki-san headed towards the sunrise, towards the wilderness. The others followed._

_Haru found himself hesitating. Ran turned back and smiled at him._

_He smiled back and began walking._

Haru tried to ignore all the strange sights, sounds, noises and smells and concentrated on keeping up. It was a struggle. The trail was rarely travelled; merely a path where the vegetation was less tall and less dense.

He wasn't used to walking across such uneven terrain. Each step was different; his foot would slip, or go into a puddle, or strike a projection that jarred his leg and left the sole of his foot aching.

He envied Gamariki his boots of crocodile leather.

Gamariki, or rather Riki-san, was setting a demanding pace. Apparently their only hope of survival was to reach a burrow he knew of and prepare it for occupation before nightfall. Haru understood the message; he had to keep up. Every minute lost reduced their chance of survival.

As so often in the past, he was the slowest and the weakest; the liability.

Dan-san insisted on regular breaks, despite Riki-san's obvious agitation. During the third, Haru could see the two of them off to one side having a whispered discussion.

"What are they saying, Ka-chan?" he asked.

Kazuki tried to get away with a shrug but Haru glared at him.

"They're discussing options," Ka-chan admitted. "Some of us could go ahead and prepare the burrow, but that would leave those travelling slower less protected. Riki-san knows a shortcut but we'll have to punt along a waterway."

"Punt?" Haru queried.

"Flat bottomed boats, pushed along by long pole," Kazuki explained.

Dan-san had obviously dismissed the option of splitting the party because when they set off again in was in a different direction. There was no trail. Riki-san went first, using his huge knife to cut a tunnel through the vegetation. The rest of them followed in single file.

Haru was behind Kazuki, who kept up a commentary about the terrain. "Low branch. Puddle you can walk through. Tree root, trip hazard, step over. Mud. Deep hole, you'll need to jump it."

It helped.

"Snake!" Kazuki yelled and turned into wildly flailing mass of limbs. Before anyone else could react, Haru saw a snake-shaped object flying through the air, obviously thrown by Ka-chan. "It dropped on me," he complained.

"You quick are," Riki-san acknowledged. "Good is. Snake poison bite."

Haru shuddered; glad that the snake had messed up and chosen Ka-chan rather than him.

They couldn't have a break while cutting their own path. Haru concentrated harder, told himself his nanobots would remove the cramp-inducing lactic acid from his muscles and pushed on through the pain.

He stumbled. Kuuya caught his elbow from behind and stopped him falling.

"I tripped," Haru lied. Kuu-chan looked at him in disbelief but said nothing.

They set off again but Haru knew he could not last much longer. He thought about asking Riki-san about how long until they reached the river or at least a trail but could not spare the breath.

Then there was a gasp and a thud from behind him. Haru stopped and spun about. He knew it was Ran; he had recognised the voice.

He pushed past Kuuya. Ran was on his hands and knees with Haku-san crouched beside him.

"I can do it," he was saying.

"No you can't," Haku-san replied. "Neither can Haru." He looked at Dan-san.

"Ran is heavier," Dan-san observed.

"I Ran carry," Riki-san volunteered. "Better to carry. Faster."

They swiftly redistributed loads and changed order. Kuuya was behind Riki-san, who led carrying Ran. In the middle was Haku-san followed by Dan-san and Haru. Kazuki brought up the rear.

Haru clung on, making it as easy as possible for Dan-san to carry him piggy-back.

It was much quicker; Haru resolved to be more honest about his limitations in the future.

Finally they broke out of cover onto the riverbank. There was a small wooden wharf with four punts tethered to it. Each was big enough for two of the large Gama hunters. Kazuki ran past him, heading towards the closest.

"Care!" Riki-san warned. "Snakes! Poison slugs!"

Kazuki and Kuuya helped Riki-san clear the wildlife out of one of the punts while Haku-san handed out food bars.

According to Riki-san, the most important things were to make sure that the punt stayed right side up and to stay inside.

If there was a giant snake they were doomed as it would loop about the punt and squeeze it until it splintered. Riki-san did not think there was a giant snake because there were so many crocodiles.

Haru had not noticed the crocs until Kazuki and Kuuya pointed them out. They were motionless and very well camouflaged.

Once you knew where to look they were everywhere.

Apparently the river was too shallow for a really big crocodile. None of the river crocodiles were big enough to have jaws that could snap the punt in two.

Haru conceded that lots of medium and small crocs were better than a giant snake or a massive crocodile. If they were lucky, the crocs would decide to ignore them. They would continue to bask on the riverbanks, enjoying the pale sunlight.

If Lady Luck did not smile on them, a croc would ram the punt. If that happened, the others were likely to join in.

Riki-san kept emphasising that they must stay in the punt. If they went into the water there would be more than crocodiles to worry about; snakes, poison worms and fish with teeth that hunted in packs.

Each punt had two long poles in holders along each side, four paddles and a club. Kazuki and Kuuya had downed five food bars each and were assembling two laser rifles.

Riki-san frowned. "What?" he asked, pointing.

"Weapons," Dan-san told him.

"Show," Riki-san demanded.

Kazuki was finished first. He shot a hole through a tree trunk. Riki-san leaned down and looked through the small smoking tunnel. He pursed his lips and nodded.

"This good is. Riki point. You shoot."

They set off. Haru, Ran and Haku-san were in the bottom of the punt. Riki stood at the back with one of the poles. Dan-san knelt at the front with a paddle. Kazuki sat on the crosspiece closest to Riki-san facing forwards; Kuuya on the one behind Dan-san facing backwards.

Haku-san had claimed the club.

It was eerily quiet as they glided along. The only sound was the 'plish' as the pole went into the water and the even softer 'plash' as it came out.

It was restful; Haru could feel his eyes closing.

"You and Ran-kun should get some sleep," Haku whispered. "Then you will be of more use when we are preparing the burrow."

Ran nodded. He curled up; being able to sleep anywhere and on anything was an ability Ran had developed living feral.

Haru lay down beside him. The bottom of the punt was hard. He kept thinking about there only being a few finger-widths of wood between him and the snakes, the poison worms and the fish with teeth. He knew he wouldn't sleep but perhaps he could rest.

He was startled awake and sat bolt upright.

"Duck!" Kazuki yelped.

He did and Haku-san's club whistled past the top of his head, sweeping something silvery out of the air. Haru watched it fall into the water.

No one had said that the fish with teeth jumped. He could see five of them, two dead and three snapping, in the bottom of the punt. One was trying to gnaw through Ran's suit; luckily it had not picked his hand or his face.

Haru pulled his suit gloves out of the pocket on this thigh and put them on. Then he closed his helmet and started grabbing fish.

Haku-san put down the club and followed his example.

Kuu-chan and Ka-chan left them to it; laser rifles were not the kind of weapon you pointed towards the wooden vessel you were travelling in. Riki-san kept punting. Dan-san used the paddle to bat away the odd one that tried jumping in at the front rather than the side. Ran, amazingly, did not wake up.

At first the fish jumped in more quickly than they could clear them but slowly the influx slowed and, finally, Haku-san tossed the last one over the side and pushed back his helmet.

Haru followed his example. Then he looked at Ran sleeping peacefully in the bottom of the punt and could not help but smile.

"Uh-oh."

It was Kuuya. "I think the crocs have noticed us," he warned.

Haru's smile died.

He stared at the water, trying to work out which shapes were floating vegetation and which were crocodiles zeroing in on them.

"What's wrong?" Ran queried, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Haru realised that he must be a lot more worried by crocs than snapping fish; it was his fear that had woken Ran.

"Crocs," he admitted.

Then Riki-san pointed out the first crocodile they should kill and they discovered that the laser rifles weren't as effective as they would have liked. Crocodile hide was remarkably thick and, unlike the tree trunk, the croc did not stay still. At first all Kazuki did was make long cauterised channels that annoyed the crocodile rather than slowing it. Finally, when it was almost on them, it reared up in pain and Kuuya managed to get a clear shot at its more vulnerable throat.

Dan-san began muttering under his breath and Haku-san paled. Ran was scanning the river.

"There are a lot of them moving towards us," he admitted.

Haru decided not to look. Instead he thought through what was in the packs. The laser pistols were weaker versions of the rifles. The dart guns were useless; they wouldn't penetrate the crocodiles' hide. Gas grenades were ineffective in the open air and he had no idea if the gas would affect reptiles.

A grenade was a good idea though. He tipped out one of the packs and began cobbling together something with a ten second delay that could be thrown.

He had no idea how much explosive to use and there wasn't enough time to think it through; he decided on the same amount as he would use for a shaped charge to blow a hole in a bulkhead.

He glanced up and around. Kuuya and Kazuki had worked out the best way to use the laser rifles; they were going for the eyes and then the throat but incapacitating each croc was taking far too much time. Riki-san had handed his spear to Haku-san and Ran was passing the spare pole to Dan-san.

Dan-san had activated his implant.

Haru went back to work. The punt was pushed sideways as the first crocodile hit it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Haku-san stabbing at its eyes with the spear. Dan-san thrust his pole downwards again and again.

"Under! Under!" Riki-san warned and Haru realised that he meant that the crocs would swim under the punt and try to turn it over.

He closed the cover, clipped it into place and then pulled at Kazuki's leg.

"What?" Ka-chan snarled, sparing him the briefest look.

"Explosive grenade," he explained. "Ten second delay."

Dan-san heard him and glanced back. He risked taking a hand off the pole and pointed some way behind them. "There, Ka-chan. Midstream."

Kazuki dropped his laser rifle so it dangled from its strap. "Prime," he ordered, holding out his hand.

Haru set the timer and placed it in Ka-chan's palm.

"Grenade!" Kazuki yelled as he threw.

At least Riki-san caught on and copied Dan-san when he shoved his pole into its holder and joined the rest of them huddling in the bottom of the punt.

Haru clung to Ran, hoping that the explosion would not capsize them.

There was a deep, low thud, followed by water and debris raining down on them. Haru was hit on the back; a dead fish slipped off his hunched shoulders and dropped into the bottom of the punt.

Then the wave hit them. Haru tensed, expecting them to capsize, but it carried the punt along rather than tipping it over.

He now understood why Dan-san had told Ka-chan to put the grenade midstream.

Haru peered cautiously over the edge, half-expecting to see a writhing mass of furious, snapping crocodiles. Instead the river was calm; he could not spot even one pair of eyes.

Riki-san was scanning the surroundings. "Good. Crocodiles to bed go."

He had a bizarre image of the crocodiles climbing into bunks before he realised that Riki-san meant the bed of the river.

Everyone took up their positions. Riki-san soon had them drifting along. Ka-chan and Kuu-chan sat on the crosspieces and checked over their rifles. Haku-san began repacking the stuff Haru had emptied out. Dan-san deactivated his implant while Ran prepared a hypospray to help him deal with the side-effects.

Haru picked out the components he would need to make two more grenades before Haku-san packed them away.

Ran handed the hypospray to Dan-san and then moved towards the fish.

"Fish keep," Riki-san told him. "Food. Raw eat."

They reached a deeper part of the river; Riki-san stayed at the back and used the pole like a rudder while Kazuki, Kuuya, Dan-san and Haku-san sat on the crosspieces and paddled.

Haru finished assembling the grenades while Ran cut the fish's flesh into thin slices and handed them around.

It was good; Haru recognised it as one of the foods Riki-san had served them back at the burrow.

The sun was almost at its height when they began punting up a smaller channel. When it was too shallow for them to make it any further, Riki-san and Dan-san jumped over the front and pulled it up onto the bank.

Then it was packs on and they were off, heading across the marsh to higher ground.

For some reason it was easier than the morning's trek. Haru wondered if it was the terrain or because he was still on a high after their escape from the crocodiles.

They reached the abandoned burrow in the early afternoon. It was small; a single chamber accessed by a short, curved tunnel.

Kuuya and Kazuki donned their gloves, closed their helmets and began clearing out the wildlife under Riki-san's direction. Haru worked with Dan-san establishing a perimeter. Ran and Haku-san mixed the goo the Gama used to coat the inside of the walls in the hope of repelling insects, worms, slugs and snakes.

Perimeter established, Haru stared at the smelly, green goo than Ran was stirring and wondered how it would dry before nightfall.

It did not have to; Riki-san mixed a small bowlful at a time with a powder and then had only a few minutes to get it onto the walls before it set. Haru watched, fascinated; it had to be a natural polymerisation reaction and it produced something akin to a plastic.

"Odd child you are," Riki-san observed as he spread the goo with a thick piece of crocodile leather. "I odd child was. You worse." He smiled. "You better?"

Haru smiled back. He wondered if a young Riki had not fitted into the slot assigned to him. "Everything is interesting," he suggested.

"Everything interesting is," Riki-san agreed.

By late afternoon they were sitting outside the burrow entrance, eating their meal and waiting for the coating to cure. Dan-san was wearing a display strapped to his forearm; it would warn him if the outer perimeter was breached. Kazuki gobbled his food and then curled up, finally exhausted. Haru sat back to back with Ran, each supporting the other.

"We made it," Haru observed.

"Thanks to you," Ran replied.

Haru flushed. "Everyone played their part."

"A good team," Ran concurred.

They went into the burrow well before nightfall, blocking the corridor with two barriers and a sensor net. It was a tight fit. Ran was next to a wall, making it unlikely that he would form empathic links with anyone other than Haru. Haru was between Ran and Kazuki.

Sleep came easily; it had been a long, exhausting day.

The next day went well. Haru and Ran slept late. By the time they woke, Riki-san and Haku-san had detailed plans of how to turn the tiny burrow into a long-term home. As soon as Haru and Ran were outside eating breakfast, Riki-san, Kuuya and Kazuki were digging out sleeping alcoves and coating them with the green goo.

Dan-san had spent the first half of the morning building a water-collection system. Ran helped Haku-san unpack what they might need over the next few days and repack the rest. Haru set up the receiver/recorder.

According to Dan-san, there was nothing new in the exchanges between Orochimaru and Itachi-san. Haru found the local radio traffic more worrying; having discovered the toad-hybrids, the nekos seemed determined to harass them.

That night a huge snake crossed the perimeter and tried to push its way into the burrow but Dan-san fried its head using a laser rifle.

Of all the local food he had tried, Haru decided he liked baked snake best.

Another day and everyone but Haru was fed up with snake. Riki-san decided that it was time to teach some of them to fish.

There was the inevitable argument about who should be included in the expedition. Haru made a token request to be included but he knew it was hopeless. After a while it looked like Kuuya and Kazuki would go with Riki-san and everyone else would stay.

Then Haku-san raised an objection. "I am not sure that is a good idea."

They all looked at him.

"Kuu-kun and Kazu-kun can be a bit headstrong," he pointed out.

Haru had to admit that Haku-san had a point. Riki-san was far too nice to cope with Kazuki when he got carried away.

"Dan-san should go," Haku-san suggested. "You will only be away for part of the afternoon. We are safe here. If the worst comes to the worst, we will go into the burrow and guard the entrance with a laser rifle.

They were on the verge of leaving, Dan-san had even given Haru the monitor for the perimeter and the sensor net, when Kazuki changed his mind and decided to stay.

He stood watching them disappear among the bushes and stunted trees. His tail was low, his ears were slightly back and his whiskers drooped.

"Why didn't you go, Kazu-kun?" Ran asked.

Kazuki just shook his head and disappeared into the burrow.

Haru sighed. "It's because of me. He could go if Dan-san stayed, maybe even if Kuu-chan stayed, but he couldn't bring himself to leave me with just you and Haku-san."

Ran frowned. "I can't decide if that's rather sweet or an insult."

They sat outside the entrance to the burrow, enjoying what passed for sunshine on a planet where the sky was always cloudy. Haku-san was sewing. Ran was making up more of one of Riki-san's salves to supplement their medical supplies. Haru was decoding the latest Akatsuki radio traffic; they had finally got around to changing their encryption.

Ka-chan was still inside; brooding.

A light flashed on the monitor fastened about Haru's forearm.

"Outer perimeter breach," he announced.

Haku-san immediately folded up his sewing and signalled that they should move inside. Haru picked up the receiver/recorder. Ran pilled his stuff into the mixing bowl.

Kazuki, alerted by Haru's announcement, emerged from the burrow and stood motionless with pricked ears; sniffing the air.

Haru paused at the entrance, expecting to be told it was a snake or maybe a croc.

Ka-chan's whiskers twitched. "Toad hybrid mixed with some not-quite-like Five and others a bit like Kamatari."

Haru's gut twisted.

It was nekos and minkies with a toad hybrid guide.

* * *

.


	36. Messages

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, melissen, Whispering-Softly, cynder81, donalgraeme, black55widow and bookworm9407 for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

_I am afraid we will have to move to a once a week posting for the next month. I am finding the writing difficult and I now only have one chapter in hand. Posting will be on a Saturday until further notice._

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 5: Regroup**

**36: Messages**

* * *

It made sense for Sasuke and Naruto to use the Orochimaru print's quarters but it was not easy. It was difficult not to dwell on the atrocities that may have been perpetrated there.

Naruto had cleared the rooms and insisted on scrubbing every surface. Replacement fittings had been scavenged from the rest of the ship. The result was sparse and simple, but reassuringly fresh.

While Naruto had been sanitising their quarters, Sasuke had copied the ship's data banks, protected the basic control programmes and purged the system. Then he had installed as many Uchiha programmes as possible, using the Blossom as a model.

Incoming and outgoing communications would be relayed via the Blossom's hardwired cryptographic system.

When they jumped back through the hole they discovered that the Dart had already arrived. Inari and Tayuya had investigated the blocked hole and were preparing to follow the T1 mothership.

There was a huge backlog of communications. Sasuke withdrew to his office to view the one marked as the highest priority.

Shikamaru's holoimage showed that he had dropped weight; a sure sign of stress.

"_Sasuke-sama. Most urgent is deciding how much information we want to try to get to those who are trapped. My recommendation is that we send everything they may be able to made use of, trusting our encryption and methods for clandestine transmission. Please review the information, adding and removing anything you judge necessary. Your authorisation will trigger encryption, compression and transmission."_

Sasuke wondered how in known space Shika intended to get the information though the blocked hole. However such questions could wait; when Shikamaru said 'most urgent' he meant it.

The information began to unfold. Sasuke's heartbeat quickened. Shika had found another hole, although he did not know if it could be jumped. The message he proposed sending included its location and the earliest time the Maple could arrive there.

If the Akatsuki intercepted and decoded the information the rescue attempt would fail. On the other hand, Itachi knowing what they were planning could be a massive advantage.

Second guessing Shika would get him nowhere. Sasuke selected 'include' and moved on.

He authorised each of the other sections. Then, at the end, he recorded his message. "Yoshimi, Akemi and Rin were not on the T1 mothership when it jumped out of the system. Neither was the Orochimaru print. I am thinking of each one of you and I know you all have the resourcefulness and tenacity to thwart the Akatsuki's plans until we are reunited. Ka-chan, Kuu-chan, Ha-chan and Yo-chan, your To-chan and I send you our love."

The message was completed, authorised and sent to Inari. Sending it triggered the next part of Shikamaru's message.

His holoimage looked apologetic. _"Sorry if I rushed you, but a copy of that message has to reach one of the ships going to the second hole before she goes out of contact. More about that later. There are some things I need to tell you."_

Sasuke did not like the sound of that, nor the look in Shikamaru's eyes.

"_First, there's a leak and I have irrefutable evidence that it is from Tarrasade. Asuma-san and I decided to act as if the Akatsuki planted bugs in the household during the last raid. Undetectable bugs. We recommend that any information being sent to Tarrasade should be heavily censored. If something sensitive has to be sent, it should be encrypted in a way that only Asuma-san can decode."_

It did not make sense. Did Shika think there were bugs or not?

"_Second, the Akatsuki didn't just attack the Oak. Izuna-sama attended a concert at the Arts Complex. Neji, Asuma, Tenten and, of course, Sumaru were with him. There was an attack. Asuma was badly injured. Neji was kidnapped."_

Neji had been kidnapped? By whom? Why?

"_I've got him back," _Shikamaru added hastily, _"but that's one of the things I don't want to tell those in Tarrasade because of the leak. The Akatsuki think they gave him over to the Hyuga but they didn't. They gave him to Hinata, who delivered him back to me. And Asuma is out of the tank and back in charge, which is great because Izuna-sama's leadership style is light-standards away from yours."_

Izuna had taken over in Tarrasade when Asuma was tanked? The thought of that did not sit well.

Neither did he like the way Shika was jumping from one subject to another; there was something amiss.

"_I've done some stuff that I would usually check with you first. I borrowed a ship, the Renaissance, from Garner-san. I am sheltering Hinata. My plan uses three of my Tennyos and means at least two of them will find out about the minigates._

"_So here it is. The plan. I hope you like it because Kakashi-san and I have already started putting it into motion."_

Sasuke studied it. Shikamaru had found a route for the Maple to the second hole.

It was harsh, twenty-two jumps in thirty days. Plus, once they got there, the hole might not be jumpable.

Shikamaru's solution was to get his Tennyos, with their faster ships, to scout the route and investigate the hole. That way Kakashi could abort the mission if the hole proved impossible to jump.

One Tennyo would go ahead at full speed and check the hole. If it could be jumped, she would launch a probe to transmit the message he had just approved before jumping back.

The other Tennyo would lay a minigate sting along part of the route, so that information could be relayed back to the Maple.

Sasuke found a fresh piece of paper and uncapped his pen. He made a neat title, 'Cons'. Under it he wrote 'Too frequent jumps for Maple' and 'Far too frequent jumps for Tennyos'. Below that he wrote 'Maple out of contact'. There were too many holes along the route to consider minigating all of them.

A little more thought and he added, 'Will Akatsuki detect Tennyo Four checking hole?' and 'Does launching a transmitter increase the risk of detection?'.

They were small reservations. As usual, Shikamaru had achieved the impossible.

Sasuke thanked the Lady that Haru had thought of scanning the system in the midst of a battle and that Itachi had insisted on a data dump from the Oak to each of the ships.

Shikamaru had used that data to find the second hole.

He moved onto the second part of the plan. Shikamaru wanted the Dart to monitor the blocked hole while the T1 mothership picked up the Silver Leaf.

Sasuke did not like the idea of missing any chance, however remote, to jump into the blocked system. On the other hand, he followed Shikamaru's argument that they needed to muster their forces for any attack. He sighed and activated the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. We are going to pick up the Silver Leaf. Set a course for the hole. Maximum sustainable velocity."

A reply was immediate. _"This is Hoshi. New course set and accelerating."_

Of course there was more to the plan than that; this was Shikamaru.

The minigate across the blocked hole had engaged, which meant it could be used as a monitoring device; it would generate a tiny jump field as soon as the hole had opened. In addition, a super-compressed version of the message he had authorised would be constantly transmitted by this side of the minigate. If the jump field was established for even a moment, the message would get through.

He scanned the rest: there was a third hole in the blocked system but it was useless because they could not work out where it led; Tennyo One would arrive with them in two days' time; the Renaissance was due five days after.

Sasuke was relieved; he was convinced that he needed to speak with Shikamaru face-to-face.

The other messages could wait. He activated the intercom. "This is Sasuke. Naruto, please could you join me?"

Naruto was there within a minute.

Sasuke outlined the plan and then played the parts of the message where Shikamaru was speaking. Naruto studied the image, his whiskers twitching.

"Something is wrong," Sasuke hinted. "Other than Neji being kidnapped," he added.

Naruto's gaze moved from the holoimage; Sasuke was transfixed by his beloved's eyes.

"I am sworn to you and not Uchiha," Naruto began.

It was not what Sasuke had expected. He felt himself stiffen.

"Someone sworn to Uchiha cannot criticise a full-blood Uchiha."

It was about Izuna? "Tell me," he demanded.

"Izuna Uchiha behaves differently according to the people he is with. For example, he has been trying to seduce Shi-chan."

It was a ridiculous suggestion. Sasuke opened his mouth to deny it.

Thankfully, the words died before they passed his lips. Had he really been about to say that he believed Izuna over Naruto and Shika?

"Sasuke, he is not what he seems," Naruto said softly. "He is not the man that the legends describe. He has been very careful to allow you to see only what you expected."

Sasuke's mind was racing. It settled on one unpalatable fact. Izuna had tried to take Shikamaru from him.

He found himself smiling.

"Teme?" Naruto queried.

"He thinks Shika can be controlled."

Naruto frowned at him. "Men like him destroy what is denied them."

It was like a bucket of cold water in the face. "Naruto?" he queried.

"He is a bad man," Naruto insisted. "I should have said it before but he is your family and family is dear to you. I thought 'What harm can he do?' but I was wrong."

Sasuke struggled past his emotions. Beyond being two-faced, what harm could Izuna do? According to the spacer code, he did not even exist. "People who have been declared dead have no rights. Technically he is not a full-blood Uchiha."

"You haven't been through all your messages."

"No. There were strategic decisions to be made and then I got worried about Shika."

"Izuna Uchiha was never declared dead. That reporter Karin found out."

Sasuke's mouth dried. It changed everything. Izuna Uchiha was no longer a fossil who was dependent on Uchiha's benevolence. He was a rival.

A rival who had made a grab for Uchiha as soon as Sasuke was out of the picture.

Naruto was smiling. Sasuke raised a brow.

"I thought you might yield to him," Naruto admitted. "He is the great Izuna Uchiha and sometime I wonder if you want to be Uchiha-sama."

Give up the clan leadership? Sasuke had dreamt of it, but only when he was sure that one of his children would do a better job of it than he could manage.

Not to a stranger, even if it was the great Izuna Uchiha. Certainly not to a man whose leadership style, according to Shika, was light-standards from his own.

"Never," he declared.

"Good," Naruto confirmed. "We get our people back, deal with the Akatsuki and then you put Izuna Uchiha in his place."

* * *

A soft ping alerted Shikamaru to a message bearing Sasuke's signature. He warned Sai and stopped the simulation.

"Tonight?" Sai asked.

"Tonight," Shikamaru confirmed. He had told Neji that he was using the interfaces in the simulator to check and refine the plan. The truth was that the plan was as polished as it could be given the available information.

He and Sai were working on new ways to visualise data. It was exhilarating.

"No eavesdropping, Sai-kun."

"I understand, Shikamaru-san. It is private between you and Sasuke-sama."

He stayed in the simulator, telling himself that it was more convenient. Taking a deep breath, he decompressed, decoded and opened the message.

The holoimage was a little off; the camera at Sasuke's end had been poor and the simulator was using guesswork to upgrade it.

It made Sasuke look like an actor in a holovid series; his hair was too blue, his eyes too velvety and his skin was like porcelain.

"_I have let you down, Shika, and I am sorry."_

The voice was spot on. Sasuke could have been in the room with him.

"_I allowed my preconceptions about Izuna get in the way. I should have realised that the legend was just that, a legend. When you get here, we will talk about it."_

Shikamaru's overwhelming response was relief. Sasuke's eyes had been opened, probably by Na-chan.

"_Excellent work with the plan. I am working on preparing the T1 mothership in case we get a chance to jump the hole. I know that Kakashi will be doing the same with the Maple."_

Shikamaru wondered if Sasuke had received Kakashi's latest message. The Ninken had managed to reach the system where the Maple's route next crossed a shipping lane.

If all went well, they would pick up the Electron at the next crossing point. When the Maple jumped the second hole she would be carrying six ships: the Ninken, the Electron, the Arrow, the Bolt and the Tennyos' two ships, the Kichijoten and the Marishiten.

Sasuke was continuing. _"Our bad news is that Yoshimi, Rin and Akemi weren't on the T1 mothership so we know the Orochimaru print has hostages."_

He shuddered, remembering the other Orochimaru print with Itachi.

"_We are on our way to collect the Silver Leaf and preparing to welcome Tennyo One. Unless you tell us otherwise, Naruto and I will continue to act as if she is employed by Chaaruzu-san, who has asked her and the other Tennyos to work with Uchiha._

"_We are looking forward to your arrival. Naruto says a special thank you for thinking of bringing Kiba because it means that we might be able to unpod the triplets. We haven't even retrieved them yet, in case we get a chance to jump the hole._

"_A data package including all the information we could glean from the T1 mothership is attached._

"_Look after yourself, Shika. We will talk in five days' time."_

Shikamaru felt so much better. All the futures where Sasuke trusted Izuna had fizzled away. He thought of jumping out of the simulator to tell Neji but then remembered that Hinata would be there.

Instead he began dissecting the data Sasuke had harvested from the T1 mothership and integrating the pieces into his intelligence on the Akatsuki.

Another, different, alarm; it was time for the midday meal.

He ate his meal, listened to Sumiko telling him about her morning and watched Neji.

There was no missing the bond between him and Hinata. Shikamaru had studied them for the last five days and he was now sure that there was more than friendship between them. It was as if Neji found Hinata mesmerising; he could barely drag his eyes away.

This time Shikamaru knew it wasn't his imagination. Even Kiba had commented on it. As for Sumiko, Shikamaru had begun surreptitiously searching her pockets for weapons.

Thinking about Su-chan reminded him that hiding from the issue wasn't a feasible option.

"There was a message from Sasuke-sama," he stated.

It was enough to capture Neji's attention.

"Can I speak to you one-to-one after the meal?" he asked, knowing that Neji would think he wanted to discuss the message's contents.

"Of course," Neji replied.

Hinata left, followed by Kiba and Sumiko.

"We're going to talk here?" Neji asked, puzzled.

"Yes," Shikamaru answered and plunged in. "I see how you look at Hinata. I understand. I mean, we always knew that it might happen. You know what Su-chan says, we were rings but not rings-and-forever."

Neji stared at him in shock, which was unexpected. "Shika?"

"You think you might love her," Shikamaru whispered.

There was silence. Shikamaru watched as Neji flushed. He looked flustered and a little embarrassed. It was rather sweet; like a youngster in love.

Shikamaru pulled the ring from his heart finger and placed it on the table. "We will always be family. I cannot imagine us not being friends. I will always love you, even if that love is expressed in a different way. It's because we are friends and because I love you that I am offering to release you."

Neji stared at the ring on the table. When his gaze finally rose, Shikamaru knew he was going to accept.

"Remember, no jumping into bed with Hinata without asking Sasuke-sama's permission," he added. It was part tease and part warning.

The flush deepened to a blush. "I wouldn't. I barely know her."

"Well now you can court her."

Neji took a deep breath and then exhaled. "I accept your offer. However, I suggest you put the ring back on until we have spoken to Su-chan."

Shikamaru imagined the scene if Sumiko spotted the missing rings before they had spoken to her. He picked up the ring and slipped it back on his finger. "I'll go and get her."

Su-chan knew it was serious as soon as the words "Neji and I need to talk with you" passed his lips.

She held his hand as they walked to the galley together. Once they had sat down she looked from him to Neji and then back.

"I don't want you to split up," she complained.

Shikamaru braced himself for a rocky ride. "Sumiko, this time you don't get a say. You get to be the first person we tell. We're still family. Neji and I will remain friends. We still love each other, but it'll be a different type of love."

Her face contorted into a scowl. "It's because of Her."

"Hinata-san's arrival has only precipitated it," Shikamaru insisted. "You must not blame Hinata-san. I expect you to be polite to her."

Suddenly the scowl vanished. "You promise not to let Izuna-sama fuck you?"

Shikamaru could feel Neji stiffen and was careful not to catch his gaze. "I promise. I do not like Izuna-sama that way."

Sumiko settled. "Good. I will try to be polite to Hinata-san but I refuse to like her."

"Thank you, Su-chan," Neji replied.

"You must move to the spare bedroom in the suite," Sumiko insisted. "And you're no longer allowed to go in and out of my room because you aren't Nii-san's lover."

Shikamaru glared at her. Banning Neji from her room was nothing to do with them splitting up; she wanted projectors like Haru's.

"I understand," Neji agreed.

There was a silence that Sumiko broke. "Who goes first?"

Shikamaru looked at her.

"You have to give the rings back," she reminded him.

"I will," Neji volunteered. He slid Shikamaru's love ring off and placed it on the table. "Thank you, Shika. It has been amazing and I can never thank you enough for everything you have done for me. I will always love you and I hope we will always be friends."

It was coming home to Shikamaru what he had done. Maybe he should have fought but it was too late. He took off Neji's ring for the second time. "Friends forever. You are a member of my family and I love you. Thank you for being there for me and helping me grow up."

Neji's fingertips closed on the silver ring, as they had closed on the Go piece so long ago. He stood up. "I'll go move my things. I shall see you at the evening meal."

Shikamaru watched him walk away.

"I hate that you let him go," Su-chan announced as soon. as Neji was out of earshot. "I hate Her. I am being nice about it for Ne-chan's sake."

"And for projectors," Shikamaru suggested.

She didn't look even the slightest bit guilty.

"I'll switch them off if you behave badly. That includes being anything other than pleasant to Hinata-san."

Sumiko considered and then nodded. "Deal."

* * *

.


	37. Captured

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, Whispering-Softly, bookworm9407, cynder81, donalgraeme, black55widow and melissen for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: This chapter contains threats and punishment.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 5: Regroup**

**37: Captured**

* * *

Kazuki was bundling him into the burrow and closing the outer barrier. Haru was about to object but stopped himself. They had no plans for being found by the Akatsuki. Running away without suits or weapons was not an option; it was better to be captured than eaten.

At least Haru hoped so.

"A party of ten or more," Kazuki told Haku-san and Ran. "A mixture of nekos and minkies and at least one toad hybrid."

Haku-san froze momentarily before responding. "They are being led to us?"

"Looks that way." Ka-chan shook himself. "What do we need to hide for Kuuya and Dan-san?"

A list sprang into Haru's mind, starting with his data crystal array.

"Kuu-chan and I made these," Kazuki told them, pulling away the covers from Haru's sleeping alcove and then lifting out what had looked like part of the wall.

There was a hole beneath. Haru wondered why Kuuya and Kazuki had thought of hidey-holes but not gone on to consider an escape route.

Not that he was in any position to criticise; he hadn't even got that far.

"How many of the holes?" Ran asked.

"Three. One here, one in mine and one in Kuu-chan's."

They hid Haru's data crystal array, the receiver/recorder, the disassembled laser rifle and most of the medical supplies.

At least Dan-san and Kuu-chan had been wearing their suits.

"We're going to give ourselves up?" Ran checked.

"There isn't another choice," Haku-san confirmed. "Put on your suits."

They waited. Finally it came.

"This is Neko Three of Squad Five. Please be aware that lifeless bodies are acceptable outcomes to Orochimaru-sama. If you do not come out, we will introduce poison gas. Leave your weapons inside."

Haru thought about them closing their helmets and then attacking whoever came in for them once the gas had dissipated. Instead, Haku-san moved to open the tunnel and Kazuki sprang forward and helped him.

They filed out.

There were five nekos and eight minkies. Beside them was Gamabunta.

"He didn't want to," Ran whispered as the minkies jostled them towards the nekos.

"He still betrayed us," Kazuki growled and snapped at a minky who had shoved him.

"Enough!" Neko Three ordered. "Stand there."

They stood while she consulted with two of the other nekos. There was much pointing at them and referring to a sheet with writing on it. Finally Neko Three addressed Haku-san.

"Where are Dan and the fox hybrid with the reddish hair?"

Haru watched Haku-san transform into a completely different person. His eyes widened and filled with tears.

"They went out and never came back," he answered in a soft, uncertain voice that made him seem fragile and defenceless.

The neko studied him. "Fine. Strip."

Once they were naked, their underclothes and their suits were searched. Haru stood there, hoping that no one decided that they might have hidden something up their bottoms.

To his relief the nekos settled for them spreading their legs and lifting their arms, although one of them did check Haku-san's hair. Then they were told to redress.

Haru felt less vulnerable with his suit back on.

Next they were restrained. Haru was first. A neko stood five paces away with a laser rifle while two minkies fastened the straps. A belt was fastened around his waist. It had two side loops that went around his arms just about the elbows, preventing him lifting his upper arms. His wrists and then his ankles were then strapped together; his wrists were touching but his ankles were far enough apart that he could take small steps.

Ka-chan was going to hate not being able to move.

Throughout, Haru watched out of the corner of his eye as the other six minkies bought everything out of the burrow. He didn't see his data crystal array or any of the other stuff they had hidden, which was good.

The nekos did not look through the pile; instead they told the minkies to pack it all up for transportation.

"All?" one of the minkies queried, holding up the remains of the snake.

"Anything that isn't local," Neko Three clarified. Then she brought out a radio.

Haru wished he could hear what she was saying. He looked to Ka-chan and raised his eyebrows.

"Flyer," Kazuki mouthed in reply.

The flyer hovered about five person-heights from the ground and they were winched up one by one. Haru was third; after Kazuki and Haku-san but before Ran.

It was scary to have so little control. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best. He did not know what was worse, tipping as he was swung up into the air or not being able to move his arms to compensate.

A neko pulled him into the flyer, unclipped the cable and passed him to another. She pushed him into the seat next to Haku-san's and strapped him in.

Once Ran had been winched up, a ladder was lowered. Haru counted the nekos and minkies who climbed it; apparently two of the nekos and four of the minkies were being left to watch the burrow.

He smiled inside; it was a poor decision. Dan-san, Riki-san, Kuuya and a laser rifle were more than a match for two nekos and four minkies.

Not that Neko Three appeared to know about Riki-san; apparently the Gama had failed to mention him.

The flyer was noisy. Even if the nekos had allowed talking, Haru couldn't have heard himself speak, never mind what anyone was saying to him.

It didn't matter because he didn't want to talk. He didn't even want to think. All thinking did was throw up questions he couldn't answer, like what the Orochimaru print would do with them.

It was easier to sleep than to think.

His last thought as he drifted away was that he was glad that he had left Sai with Su-chan.

Next thing he knew the noise had gone and Ran was nudging him. They were being unstrapped by minkies. Neko Three told them to get up and start moving.

He managed to stand up but forgot that his ankles were tied together and pitched forward on his first step. He fell as well as he could, given that his arms were bound.

Ka-chan was growling.

"Stay where you are, fox-boy," Neko Three ordered. "Seven, carry him."

One of the other nekos picked him and slung him over her shoulder.

It was difficult to see anything other than Neko Seven's butt but Haru thought that they were at one of the abandoned spaceports.

He didn't think it was the one where they had landed the Lancet but he couldn't be sure.

Then it was up a ladder. If he lifted his head he could see the others standing at the bottom, unable to climb because of their restraints.

He wondered if they would be hauled up or carried; he didn't think the nekos would untie them.

Both doors of the airlock were open. Haru was carried into though it and another doorway before being dumped on the floor. The neko who had been carrying him crouched down and began unbuckling the restraints.

There was no one else in the room. She obviously did not consider him a danger.

He wasn't. He did not have a hope against a fully functional hybrid.

On a low trolley was a pod. In some racks there were more.

"Strip," she told him. "Quickly or I will do it for you."

Haru made his stiff arms move. His numb fingers fumbled with the suits fastenings.

The neko watched him. Her forefinger was tapping her belt. He tried to go more quickly; he did not want to be stripped by a stranger.

Once he was naked she gestured him into the pod.

As he lay down, he wondered where the others were. He hoped that Ka-chan wasn't being difficult because Haru was sure that the nekos wouldn't hesitate to shoot him.

Then the lid shut and there was the usual half minute of claustrophobic darkness before he slid away.

When he opened his eyes he found himself in a familiar infirmary. For one heady moment he thought he had been rescued.

Then he realised that he was on the Sakura and the person sitting next to the treatment bed was the Orochimaru print rather than Papa or To-chan.

There was something around his neck. He touched it. It was tight and as wide as a finger: a collar; a controller?

Orochimaru was studying him and he tried not to shrink away.

"I am meant to kill you, Haru-chan."

Haru's heart was thumping in his chest. His palms were sweaty. He wanted to run.

Orochimaru extended an arm. Haru watched Orochimaru's hand coming closer. He clamped his jaw shut, knowing that speaking was a bad idea and determined not to whimper or yell.

A fingertip traced a path down his bare arm. The nail was perfectly oval and immaculately manicured.

He shivered; goose bumps spread from Orochimaru's touch across his entire body.

"If you had been your brother I would not have hesitated for a moment," Orochimaru continued. "He is merely Uchiha."

Haru wanted to object. There was nothing mere about Uchiha. Only he knew that if he opened his mouth all that would come out would be a squeak.

"But you, Haru-chan, may be interesting. I am going to give you fifteen minutes to prove to me whether than is the case. At the end of fifteen minutes I shall decide if you are worth keeping."

Orochimaru smiled only it wasn't like any smile Haru had ever seen. He preferred the crocodiles.

"It will take a lot to convince me because there is something I very much want to do. Do you know what that is, Haru-chan?"

Haru managed the slightest shake of his head.

Orochimaru leaned forward and scraped his fingernail up Haru's arm towards his shoulder. "I want to squeeze the life out of you while your father watches. I want to strangle you until you turn blue and stop struggling. Then I want to snap your neck so he knows it is no trick and that you are gone forever."

Haru swallowed but for some reason the threat was less scary than the smile. Maybe because, like To-chan said, there were worse things than dead. Or maybe it was because Orochimaru still thought Itachi-san was Papa.

Orochimaru leaned back. "Do you see that console?" he asked.

Haru spotted the ordinary-looking display screen and user interface. He nodded.

"You are going to sit a test. If you pass, you will live. If you do very well I may decide you are useful. Who knows, if you are useful I may begin considering what would motivate you. What would motivate you, Haru-chan?"

Haru kept absolutely still.

"I have always want to vivisect a Bara hybrid. Perhaps one that has not turned out as hoped. Perhaps one with ears and a tail."

This time the threat was worse than the smile.

"Do you understand me, Haru-chan?"

Haru nodded.

Orochimaru smiled again. "Good. Your fifteen minutes start now."

Haru was off the bed and on the chair. On the display was a puzzle. It was easy. So were the next and the one after. Then they got trickier. He had to think but he solved it quickly.

Each one was harder and took longer. There was no indication of how long he had left. He refused to think about anything other than solving the problem on the screen.

Then, without warning, the display died.

"Time is up, Haru-chan," Orochimaru told him.

Haru spun about. "Did I pass?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I shall analyse your performance later."

It was a lie. The shrug was too slow. Orochimaru's eyes were too bright and he had licked his top lip with the tip of his tongue.

Haru knew he had done better than Orochimaru had expected, but was that a good or a bad thing?

The piercing, yellow eyes were studying him. "There are rules, Haru-chan."

Haru waited. Rules were good. Rules suggested enough freedom to consider breaking them.

"Firstly, you will not be punished for your misdeeds. It will be one of the fox-hybrids you think of as your brothers. Or the empath. Or one of my other guests."

Haru did not like the thought of that one little bit.

"Secondly, you will treat me with the same level of respect as you would show a clan leader."

It took Haru a moment to catch on and respond. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama." To his surprise his voice sounded almost normal.

"This respect will be shown at all times, even when I am not present, even when you believe you are communicating in secret, even when you are alone. Is that clear, Haru-chan?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

"Thirdly, you will obey me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

"Good." He pointed at a small pile of clothes in a corner. "Put those on."

Haru dressed. The clothes felt strange. Not only was there no Uchiha crest but they did not fit properly and the fabric felt unpleasant against his skin.

As he pulled on the low boots, Orochimaru was sliding open the door.

"Follow me, Haru-chan."

Crossing the infirmary, he spotted Rin-san. She had stopped what she was doing and stood politely, feet together and hands clasped before her. As Orochimaru passed she bowed but he ignored her.

It was shocking; Rin-san wasn't even that respectful to Papa. Haru wondered what Orochimaru had threatened to do.

Or what he had done.

When they reached the ladder Orochimaru went up first. Haru followed. There wasn't another option. Even if he had been willing to take a risk, out of the corner of his eye he could see a neko watching him.

They stepped off the ladder on the level above the crew room but below Papa's office and the meeting rooms.

Haku-san was there. He was holding position in a deep bow. He had found or made a kimono. Around his neck was a collar like Haru's.

"Haku-chan," Orochimaru acknowledged.

"Orochimaru-sama," Haku-san responded. He straightened but kept his eyes downcast.

He looked very different from the Haku-san Haru knew.

"You will not leave this level without permission, Haru-chan," Orochimaru informed him. "Haku will be looking after you when he is not looking after me."

Haku-san flushed slightly and Haru realised immediately what 'looking after me' meant. It did not surprise him; he knew that Haku-san would not hesitate to act the floozy for Orochimaru if it distracted his attention from Yoshimi or any of the rest of them.

He imagined what Kisame-san would do to the Orochimaru print when he found out.

It was a nice thought.

Haku-san led the way into one of the rooms, which had been fitted out as a small bunk room. Inside were Yo-chan, Ka-chan, Ran and, to Haru's surprise, Kichi and Tatsu.

Each one was wearing a controller.

No wonder Gamabunta had led the nekos to them; Orochimaru had the Gama's beloved youngsters as hostages.

"Ha-chan!" Yoshimi cried, delighted to see him.

And Orochimaru smiled indulgently, which was weird.

Yoshimi still looked strange without his whiskers and with golden fur but the collar with the writing had been replaced by a plain version. He didn't look normal, his eyes were too bright and his cheeks too pink, but he did not look as sad as Haru had expected.

"Yoshimi-chan, I want you to take Kichi-chan and Tatsu-chan down to the gym."

"But..." Yo-chan began, his eyes going to Haru.

"You can spend time with Haru-chan later. For now, I want you to take Kichi-chan and Tatsu-chan down to the gym where Neko Ten will supervise an exercise session."

Yoshimi bowed. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

They waited. After a while Haru realised that they were waiting until Yoshimi was out of earshot. He studied the others. Ka-chan looked sullen while Ran was being careful to have no expression at all.

"Shut all the doors on this level, Haku-chan, and then return," Orochimaru said finally.

Haku-san bowed and left the room.

"Ran-chan, what will happen if one of you attacks me?" Orochimaru asked.

"The nekos have instructions to retaliate, Orochimaru-sama," Ran replied. "If you are attacked they will kill Akemi. If you are injured they will kill Akemi and one other. If you die, they will kill all of us."

"Very good, Ran-chan. You learn quickly. Unlike fox-boy here."

Haru quaked inside. What had Kazuki done?

Haku-san returned and shut the door behind him.

"Unfortunately for you, Haru-chan, fox-boy finds it difficult to obey. What was the first rule I explained to you, Haru-chan?"

Haru swallowed. His throat was dry and his gut twisted.

"That I would not be punished for my misdeeds, Orochimaru-sama. Another would bear the punishment."

Ka-chan's eyes widened and he bristled. "No!"

"Do not make it worse, Kazu-kun," Haku-san pleaded.

Orochimaru turned on him. "Did I ask you to contribute?"

Haku-san's eyes went to the floor. "No, Orochimaru-sama."

"You are lucky, Haku-chan. I enjoy your punishment far too much to administer it to another."

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."

Haru imagined and shuddered.

Orochimaru turned back to Haru and the others. "Fox-boy you will stand here. If you move or if you make a sound I will double the punishment. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." Kazuki answered although Haru thought the honorific might choke him.

"Haru-chan, take off your shirt and drop your pants and underpants."

Haru did what he was told. He was shivering and he knew it was from fear rather than cold.

"Ran-chan, you will hold Haru-chan's hand. If you let go, the punishment will be repeated on another occasion until you manage to keep hold of his hand throughout."

Haru put his hands behind his back. Ran would experience the whole punishment second-hand through the empathic link.

"Please don't make Ran hold my hand, Orochimaru-sama," he begged.

Orochimaru studied him. "A polite-worded request, Haru-chan. This time, he must hold your hand. On future occasions I shall reconsider. Give Ran-chan your hand."

There was no way out. He put out his left hand and Ran took it.

Orochimaru extended his right arm and suddenly there was a prod in his hand. Haru guessed he carried it in a sprung-loaded holster on his forearm. He made a show of studying the slider that controlled its intensity.

"You are small," he acknowledged. "I do not want to do any permanent damage and I would prefer not to have to tank you."

He adjusted the slider.

"You will mention this to no one. Is that clear?"

"Yes Orochimaru-sama," Haru replied with the others.

When the prod touched it was bad but not unbearable. Haru screamed because that's what you did when someone was torturing you; not reacting would make him more vicious.

It wasn't as bad as the killer plants, at least not at first.

Then Orochimaru slid the slider forward and the screaming was for real.

Ran was gasping and weeping. Haru thought about pulling his hand away but he didn't; he wasn't going to be responsible for putting them through this a second time.

The prod was lifted from his skin and there was momentary relief. He made the mistake of looking at Orochimaru instead of anywhere else.

As soon as their eyes met, Orochimaru smiled, pushed the slider further forward and touched him with the prod.

The pain was worse than the poison vines; worse than when Hana was pulling out the barbed needles.

Then, suddenly, it was over. He was on the ground. Ran was holding him. Their hands were still clasped together. Haku-san and Kazuki were kneeling, their foreheads pressed to the floor.

"You are surprisingly tough, Haru-chan," Orochimaru observed. "Next time I shall remember to use a higher setting." He flexed his arm and the prod went back into its holster. "Haku-chan, you will accompany me."

He left and Haku-san followed, sliding the door closed behind him.

Haru made himself release Ran's hand giving Ran the choice of moving away. Instead Ran held him closer.

Kazuki crawled over and began grooming him. "There won't be another time, I promise," he whispered.

"It wasn't your fault, Ka-chan, it was his." Haru croaked; his throat raw from screaming.

"We will never behave well enough," Ran told them.

Ka-chan paused and Haru waited.

"He will always find an excuse because he enjoys it."

* * *

.


	38. Impotent

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, Whispering-Softly, bookworm9407, cynder81, donalgraeme, black55widow and melissen for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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I am really struggling with this story. It isn't the plot; I know what is going to happen. It is the writing process. For the first time in two and a half years I considered having a sabbatical from it. Only I won't because I know that if I stop I shall never finish it.

So, at this time, every iota of feedback really counts: every hit; every rating; every review. I need to know that there are readers out there who want the rest of it. Think of it being like helping to pull that wagon over the highest, rockiest part of the pass.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: A few sentences of this chapter have been removed and replaced by ooo*****ooo because they may be considered too graphic.**

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**Leader**

**Part 5: Regroup**

**38: Impotent**

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Sasuke leaned back in his chair and stretched. Reviewing the plan was not going to change reality.

They had retrieved the Silver Leaf, jumped back, picked up the Dart and then rendezvoused with Tennyo One's ship. Since then it had been a matter of sitting, watching and waiting.

Waiting in case the hole should open.

Waiting for the Renaissance, which had jumped into the system yesterday and would reach them tomorrow.

Waiting for Tennyo Six to find out if the second hole could be jumped.

Waiting thirteen more days until, hopefully, the Maple could jump into the system and initiate a rescue.

He thought of Yoshimi with the Orochimaru print and felt sick.

He hoped Kuuya, Kazuki and Haru were safe hiding on the planet.

Beyond the door to his office, the ship was a hive of activity. Yuki was keeping everyone busy in the gaps between drills, duties and training. There was no time for brooding; even the kits and Ryuu were physically exhausted by the time their heads hit their pillows.

Hoshi was beside him within seconds of him emerging from his office.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Ho-chan?"

"We have been talking..."

Sasuke braced himself. Those words usually meant something he would prefer not to contemplate.

"...and we think we should name the ship."

It seemed harmless. He nodded and Hoshi smiled, which was nice.

"We have a shortlist of four names; Cedar, Elm, Hawthorn and Linden."

"Excellent," Sasuke acknowledged.

"We want you to choose one."

"Ask your To-chan," he suggested.

"To-chan said that you should do it, Papa."

Sasuke did not miss the gentle reproach. He considered. "The Linden," he decided.

"Yu-chan was wondering when we would hold the naming ceremony."

He sighed; you couldn't name a ship without a ceremony. "After the Renaissance arrives."

"Thank you, Papa."

"You are welcome, Ho-chan. Do you know where I can find your To-chan?"

"I think he is in the gym, Papa."

Sasuke managed to get to the ladder without being intercepted for a second time. He checked that the way was clear and slid down.

They had converted the storage hold next to hydroponics into a gym. Sasuke peered around the doorway, hoping that Naruto was alone.

He was. Sasuke watched for a few moments, appreciating the way Naruto's muscles moved under the glistening, golden skin. Then he went in and sat on a packing case that had been left to provide a platform.

It reminded him of being on the Silver Leaf; of the day he had decided that he wanted Naruto to fuck him.

Naruto finished his series of moves, draped a towel around his neck and came over. He stood between Sasuke's knees and leaned in for a kiss.

"You're all sweaty," Sasuke objected.

Naruto smiled and pulled him closer.

"Dobe!" he complained as sweat soaked through his shirt to his skin.

Naruto nuzzled his neck. "You smell good."

This packing case was lower than the one on the Silver Leaf. Naruto growled as they rubbed against each other.

It was the perfect height. "Tell me you have your thingy," Sasuke whispered.

Naruto pulled away and looked at him. "Teme, why would I carry my thingy when I was going to train? You came to find me. You should have brought the thingy."

He was right and Sasuke knew it. "I didn't think," he admitted. He sighed. "We'll never get all the way up the ladder without being stopped by Hoshi or Yuki."

"Or Gai," Naruto agreed. "Old fashioned quickie?"

It would have to do. "Door," Sasuke hinted.

Naruto kissed him before pulling away and heading for the door. Sasuke looked about the room for something to stand on; his legs were much shorter than Naruto's.

Then the intercom clicked.

"_This is Inari. The minigate has established a jump field. Code Blue. This is not a drill. I repeat. Code Blue. This is not a drill." _

All thought of fucking vanished. This was it. The hole was open. Should they jump? Would the bombs still be there? Could they trick the Orochimaru print into thinking that it was still an Akatsuki ship?

Naruto was gone before Sasuke was off the packing case. By the time he reached the bottom of the ladder, Naruto was stepping off the top.

"_This is Inari. We have confirmation that our communication has been transmitted. We have received communications from the other system."_

Sasuke concentrated on climbing the ladder. Above him he could see Ryuu and Keizo standing aside to give him right of way. As he passed each level he heard or saw people getting into their suits or moving towards their stations.

He stepped off the ladder, entered his office, activated the projector and depressed the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. Relay any decoded sections of the incoming communications to my office and copy the encoded communication to Shika-san on the Renaissance."

"_This is Hikaru. Communications are being relayed as they are decoded. The first one is short and from Itachi-san. The raw encoded transmission has been sent to Shikamaru-san."_

Itachi's message was more urgent than getting into this suit. It was audio-only and went straight to the point.

"_Do not attempt to jump the hole. I repeat, do not attempt to jump the hole."_

On balance, it was a relief. Sasuke sighed, paused the message and went to the intercom. "This is Sasuke. Stand down. We will not be jumping the hole. I repeat. Stand down and return to normal duties. Naruto, please could you join me in my office? Hikaru, can you confirm that nothing in the communication was flagged as requiring a response?"

"_This is Hikaru. There are no response flags." _

He restarted the message.

"_This is day __twenty-eight__."_

Itachi would be counting from the attack on the Oak, so this part of the message had been updated only two days before.

"_The Akatsuki have built a jump field disruptor close to the hole. They also have the remaining bombs in case the disruptor fails. If someone jumps through, they will explode the bombs._

"_We are taking advantage of t-t-temporary damage to the disruptor to transmit this message."_

The uncharacteristic stutter alerted Sasuke to the fact that the damage had been planned and deliberate. Itachi was being very careful about what he said; as if he was worried about the enemy deciphering the message.

Sasuke hoped it was just Itachi being obsessive about security.

"_521, 796, 374, 109 and 725 are, at the time of this recording, operating as a resistance force."_

He stopped the message. Itachi had coded the names and the coding would depend on the date the recording had been made.

A few minutes' work with one of Shikamaru's programmes replaced all the numbers with the appropriate names.

Naruto arrived before he could continue. Sasuke started the message at the beginning. He watched Naruto listening; noticing how his whiskers twitched at Itachi's stutter.

"_Itachi, Kisame, Hamaki, Terai and Fu are, at the time of this recording, operating as a resistance force."_

"He used code numbers?" Naruto queried, alerted by the discontinuities in Itachi's speech patterns.

Sasuke nodded. He knew what they were both thinking. Why was Itachi being so cautious?

"_Yoshimi and Akemi are definitely with the Orochimaru print, who is residing in space on the Sakura._

"_I am uncertain as to the whereabouts of Hoshi, Yuki, Keizo, Yasushi, Gai and Rin. They were captured by the Akatsuki and were either on the Akatsuki mothership that jumped out of the system or they are with the Orochimaru print._

"_Kuuya, Kazuki, Haru, Ran, Haku and Dan made it down to the surface of the outer of the habitable planets. However, based on the Akatsuki radio traffic, we believe that Haru, Ran, Haku and Kazuki have been captured by Akatsuki forces on the planet and taken to the Sakura."_

Sasuke flinched and he saw Naruto's whiskers droop.

Haru's capture also explained Itachi's caution; given time and resources, Haru would be able to build a software simulation of their hardware encoders. He also understood Shikamaru's techniques for hiding transmissions with the background radiation.

Itachi was continuing. _"We have no information about Kuuya or Dan._

"_The most unexpected news is that the outer habitable planet is inhabited. There is a population of toad-human hybrids. Presumably they were left by someone farming the planet illegally._

"_Other reports follow."_

At any other time, the toad hybrids would have been interesting. Now all he could think about were Haru, Kazuki and Yoshimi in the hands of that monster. Not to mention Ran; Sasuke imagined being able to feel the homicidal sadist's emotions and shuddered.

Naruto drew him into an embrace, nuzzling his hair and making small foxy sounds of comfort.

"He has had Yo-chan for thirty days," Sasuke whispered. "It is thirteen more days until the Maple can get there."

The arms around him tightened. They stayed there for a while, holding each other, not saying what Sasuke knew they both were thinking.

Even the Maple's arrival would not ensure their children's safe rescue. Orochimaru would not hesitate to use their children as a shield or, worse, a weapon.

* * *

Shikamaru was struggling to adapt to his new situation. He had thought that breaking up with Neji would be like when Neji had been kidnapped only without the worry.

It wasn't. Every time he and Neji met he had to remember not to touch, nor stand too close, nor make a comment that only a lover would make, nor give any of the signals that he wanted Neji to fuck him.

Which he did; very badly.

He oscillated between knowing he had done the right thing and desperately wishing he hadn't.

Receiving Itachi's communication gave him a fresh excuse to hide in the simulator.

It only took Sai seconds to decode the message and spread the components across the field of view. Shikamaru's gaze went to Itachi's main message and he activated the audio.

What he heard felt like a kick in the balls; Haru had been captured by the Orochimaru print.

Shikamaru's mind filled with starbursts of thought and warring emotions: guilt that he cared more for Haru than Yoshimi or Kazuki; fear of what Orochimaru would do; frustration that the Maple could not get there for thirteen days; anger.

This time he did not wall the emotions away; he allowed them to roam his mind, disrupting his thoughts but fuelling his determination.

There had to be something useful they could do during the next thirteen days. He opened a channel to Sasuke. As he waited for a response, he searched through Itachi's communications to see if there was any information about how they had damaged the disruptor.

There wasn't; Itachi had been careful to give the impression that the damage had been accidental.

Sasuke's image appeared in the simulation. He blinked owlishly; a sure sign that he and Naruto had been cuddling.

"Is the minigate still open?" Shikamaru demanded.

"_Yes,"_ Sasuke confirmed; now that the two ships were in the same system the delay was barely perceptible.

"I need another communication window in five days' time. Do I have your permission to send a request through to Itachi?"

He could see Sasuke debating whether to ask his reasons. Shikamaru wanted to yell at him that each second's delay risked the Akatsuki realising what was happening and disrupting the field.

"_The request will be hidden in the same way as the message we have just sent?"_

"Of course."

_Send it,"_ Sasuke decided.

A quick command and it was on its way.

"_Shika?"_ Sasuke queried.

"Not sure yet," Shikamaru admitted. "It will give us confirmation that the second hole can be jumped."

"_But more than that."_

"Perhaps. Tomorrow, when we can talk face-to-face."

Sasuke nodded. _"Tomorrow."_

Shikamaru broke the connection, freeing Sasuke to go back to Naruto.

Five days; what could he come up with within five days? He began the task of working through every iota of information; integrating it into his models.

The first thing that came to mind was that the prisoners were on the Sakura. There had to be an advantage to be had from their in-depth knowledge of the spacecraft and its systems.

"Shikamaru-san?"

"Yes, Sai-kun?"

"Will Haru and Ran and Kazuki die?"

Hearing the words made that possibility all too real. "They will not be any use to the Orochimaru print once they are dead," he insisted, as much to convince himself as Sai.

"Is this Orochimaru the Orochimaru who killed Sumiko's Ma and Sumiko's Pa?"

"It might as well be, Sai-kun. All the Orochimaru prints are like the original Orochimaru. They look like him, think like him, act like him and have all his memories up to the time the mindprint was made."

There was a pause. "The imprinted clones are not the same as each other. The imprinted clones are very different from the original Orochimaru."

Shikamaru was only listening with half an ear; there had to be something they could do from this side of the hole.

Sai was continuing. "The clones were gestated in a sensory deprivation environment. The clones have a mindnet. The clones have experienced the mindprinting process."

Shikamaru's mind froze and then exploded. The clones each had a mindnet; a mindnet that he and Rin had investigated extensively when they had thought Ranmaru's brain contained a killnet.

"Shikamaru-san?"

"We will investigate the mindnet," Shikamaru decided. "I was thinking about whether we could get a bomb through the hole."

There was another pause. "A ship with a Mulligan drive would have to be sacrificed," Sai replied. "The minigate connection would be lost. Anyone in the space at the other side of the hole or on the ship would die." There was a third pause. "Overloading a Mulligan drive would produce a very big explosion."

It was an interesting thought. Shikamaru was pretty sure that no one had ever considered using a drive that was worth more than five gates or ten good planets as a bomb.

He felt a little better. Three ideas were a great deal better than none.

"Are you going to think in the special way you do?" Sai asked.

"Special way?" Shikamaru queried.

"Like you did when you were looking for the links between holes."

Shikamaru was intrigued. "So you helped Haru develop the route finder?"

"Haru had the ideas. I did the processing. I am very fast."

"You are wondrously fast," Shikamaru confirmed. "So what is special about the way I think when I am looking for links between holes?"

"You make jumps in your reasoning that I cannot follow. I do not understand your logic."

That was interesting. "I don't know what I do," Shikamaru admitted. "It just happens. Sai-kun, I must go and tell the others the news. I shall come back later to talk through our ideas."

"May I have access to all the information you have on the mindnet?"

Shikamaru spent a few minutes pulling all the relevant data from his array for Sai. Then, reluctantly, he climbed out of the simulator, dressed and went to find Kiba.

He hated being the one to tell Kiba that Kazuki and Haru had joined Yoshimi in Orochimaru's hands.

Neji was next.

"I am so sorry, Shika," he responded in his softest, deepest, most concerned voice.

Shikamaru's gaze dropped and his head dipped before he could stop himself. In response, Neji's hand went to his back automatically; stroking him.

He should step away. Instead he leaned into the touch and, sure enough, Neji took him in his arms and held him.

A small voice in Shikamaru's mind reminded him that they were crewmates. Crewmates comforted each other.

It was enough. He tipped his head back and Neji kissed him.

**ooo*****ooo**

"Thank you," he whispered into Neji's ear once they were both spent.

Neji's arms tightened around him. "Shika?"

"Friends," Shikamaru stated.

The hug loosened. "Friends," Neji agreed.

* * *

The Renaissance was too large to fit into any of the Linden's docking bays, so transfers between the two had to be done via shuttles.

They had discovered that the top of bay four could be closed off and pressurised, creating a shuttle dock. Sasuke, Naruto and the six children were packed into the small area outside the airlock that led to it.

Hikaru had set the controls so that they could have both doors open at the same time; the plan was that the children would invade and greet Kiba as soon as the shuttle bay was pressurised.

As soon as the indicator light was blue Ryuu had the doors open and they were off. Kiba must have been almost as quick with the shuttle's airlock because he was down the gangplank before Yasushi reached the edge of the dock.

The sight of the two of them hugging lifted Sasuke's spirits; perhaps Kiba could help Ya-chan in ways that he and Naruto could not.

"Shi-chan," Naruto observed and was gone from his place at Sasuke's side.

Shikamaru's presence was unexpected; Sasuke guessed he had volunteered to pilot the shuttle. He watched him and Naruto talking. Whatever Shikamaru was saying, Naruto did not like it.

The children were dragging Kiba away to look over the ship. Sasuke waited until they had gone and moved closer to the foot of the gangplank.

Naruto and Shikamaru took the hint and walked towards him.

Naruto said nothing, merely twitched his whiskers and looked at Shikamaru. Shikamaru flushed and held up his left hand.

There was no love ring on his heart finger.

Sasuke did not understand. Had Shika and Neji argued?

"Shi-chan has something to ask you," Naruto said ominously. Whatever the request was; Naruto disapproved of it.

"Sasuke-sama, please grant Neji's request when he asks you for permission to pursue a sexual relationship with Hinata-san."

The break was because of Hinata? Sasuke suddenly remembered being on Chanx and Neji's reaction to the female character he had played.

"I shall listen to his request with an open mind," he promised.

Shikamaru looked anxious.

"I shall also keep in mind that you support it," he added.

"Thank you, Sasuke-sama."

Naruto gave a small growl to emphasise that he did not concur.

"You, Na-chan and Kiba should discuss whether the Renaissance would be suitable for accommodation for the triplets," Shikamaru suggested.

Naruto's eyes lit up and Sasuke suppressed a smile at Shikamaru's blatant, yet highly successful, distraction.

That afternoon Sasuke had a strategy meeting with Shikamaru and Neji. Sasuke had wondered if they would behave any differently towards each other but if it had not been for the absence of their love rings and Shikamaru's announcement, Sasuke would have never guessed anything was amiss.

They discussed three ideas: exploiting their in-depth knowledge of the Sakura, finding a way to disrupt the mindnet in the Orochimaru print's brain and converting one of the ships into a massive bomb.

"We will only use the bomb idea if the second hole cannot be jumped or the Maple's rescue attempt fails," Sasuke decided. "Concentrate on the other two ideas with the aim of getting useful information to Itachi if he manages to re-open the hole in five days' time."

"How long was the minigate operational, Sasuke-sama?" Neji asked.

"Forty-six minutes," Sasuke replied. "We cannot be sure but I imagine Itachi caused some minor damage to the disruptor and it took that long for them to diagnose the fault and mend it. Shika, all three of these ideas require Itachi to reopen the hole. That may not be possible."

Shikamaru's shoulders slumped. "I know. If this hole cannot be reopened and the second hole cannot be jumped, we are back to the start." He pulled himself together. "I have feelers everywhere looking for scans of systems that haven't been added to our database. I am constantly looking for the system on the other side of the third hole."

Sasuke knew he should not criticise. Shikamaru had already achieved so much; they had moved from hopeless to having a plan that had a realistic possibility of working. "We will remain positive. Hopefully Itachi will manage to arrange a window of communication in four days' time. You will send him information that gives him a better chance against the Orochimaru print and we will learn that the second hole can be jumped. What next?"

"I, or rather Chaaruzu-san, will be sending Tennyo One to collect various supplies we might need if we go ahead with the bomb," Shikamaru told them. "I would also like us to interrogate the nekos and the minkies who were on this ship. I would like to do that within the next four days in case it reveals anything that can be of use to Itachi-san. I would like to use Kiba as well as Neji."

"Good idea," Sasuke agreed, thinking of old-old-red-eight. "Make sure that you keep the minkies and the nekos separate." He considered. "Kiba knows some of the older minkies but I think Naruto might have more effect on the nekos. Is there anything else?"

"The leak, Sasuke-sama," Neji reminded them.

Sasuke frowned. Why had it been Neji who bought that up and not Shikamaru?

"I cannot see that there is much to be gained from discussing that at this time," Shikamaru pointed out. "Asuma is aware of the situation. No sensitive information is being routed through Tarrasade. We can deal with that once this situation is resolved."

"We are going to ignore a leak that leads directly to the Akatsuki?" Neji asked, incredulously.

Suddenly the friction between the two of them was all too obvious. Sasuke moved to intercept before the situation could deteriorate. "Shika has a point; we need to focus on rescuing our people." He took a deep breath. Naruto was correct, he was the only person who could say it; both Shikamaru and Neji were sworn to Uchiha. "Once we have our people back, we will resolve that issue. No one will be above suspicion."

"No one, Sasuke-sama?" Neji checked.

"No one," Sasuke confirmed.

* * *

..


	39. Paused

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, Whispering-Softly, bookworm9407, cynder81, black55widow, melissen, donalgraeme, 'Guest' and Zach for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

Last chapter I commented that I was finding writing difficult and some feedback at this time would be very welcome. I am so very grateful for the response from readers. I have struggled to write a chapter per week lately and this week I have managed three.

* * *

I am posting this chapter a day early because I will not be available this week to make the posting at the usual time.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 5: Regroup**

**39: Paused**

* * *

.

* * *

Madara had discovered that there was a difference between knowing that his attempt to seize control had failed and accepting it.

He still found himself overcome by surges of fury. He would never forgive Orochimaru for trusting such a crucial mission to one of his prints.

However, he was resolved to concentrate on the future rather than the past; it was essential that he make as much progress as possible while Sasuke Uchiha's attention was elsewhere.

He allowed himself a small smile. With some of his children trapped in a system with no navigable holes and others on a ship heading for Orochimaru, Sasuke Uchiha was unlikely to be thinking about what was happening back in Tarrasade.

'Izuna' now had his own offices in Uchiha headquarters. He had purchased a shuttle and had a ship on order. He was recruiting his own staff.

Madara would have liked to establish a completely separate household within the compound but he was not ready to give up his apartment with its direct link to Karin.

Building his public profile was the priority. He was giving a series of interviews about life a millennium ago. He had joined various influential organisations and committees.

Sasuke had always shunned publicity. Madara, as Izuna, embraced it.

He had decided that he needed someone other than Sumaru at his side. The young man was handsome and his manners were immaculate but he made ordinary people uncomfortable. Having spent considerable time studying current modes and fashions, Madara had concluded that he required a beautiful young woman as his assistant.

Recruiting had security implications so he had to consult with Asuma. Madara summoned him to his office, hoping it would annoy him, but the big man was his usual good-natured self.

"If you want them to be able to work within Uchiha headquarters they will need to pass a level two check," Asuma warned him.

It was a reasonable stipulation but it would exclude anyone with even a wisp of a connection to the Akatsuki.

"Are you going to use an agency to produce the shortlist?" Asuma asked.

Madara had not got that far but it was a good idea; he would be deluged by applications if he advertised. "Yes," he decided.

For once Asuma looked serious. "May I have the name of the agency? I would like to put forward someone's name."

Madara was intrigued. It could not be an attempt to plant someone because Asuma was being so overt with his request.

"Asuma-san?" he queried.

"There is a young woman. Her father was one of the elite fighters. Her mother was a courtesan. As you may know, until Sasuke-sama became clan leader elite fighters were not allowed to have children. The mother was brave enough to face Fugaku-kyou, to say that one of the Uchiha fighters was the father and to submit to a paternity test.

"If the child had been a boy he would have been raised by Uchiha as a fighter. As it was female, the baby was given over to the Sisterhood."

His interest was piqued. The Sisterhood was older than Tarrasade; older than Uchiha. Only those who were phenomenally rich had the option of eroding their fortune by visiting one of the Sisterhood's palaces of pleasure. "The girl did not reach the required standard?"

Asuma shrugged. "Perhaps. Perhaps she chose to leave. As is traditional, the Sisterhood told her who paid for her education so she came to Tarrasade. As Sasuke-sama is not here, I saw her."

Madara very much wanted to meet someone who had been educated by the Sisterhood; even someone who had not made the grade. "If she passes the level two security check I shall interview her."

Asuma bowed. "Thank you, Izuna-sama."

When the agency's recommendations arrived, Madara found himself in the unexpected position of being spoilt for choice. There were several highly qualified candidates, all of whom met the criteria and none of whom had failed the level two security check.

He would start by interviewing two; the young woman educated by the Sisterhood and one other.

Each of the agency's choices had a great deal to recommend her.

He had specified a female whose colouring contrasted to his own. Most of the agency's recommendations were blond-haired and blue-eyed. There were two redheads. One had strawberry hair and emerald eyes.

What type of woman would choose two such obviously unnatural colours?

He decided to find out.

Decision made, he moved his attention to other matters. There was still no response from the Hyuga. Karin's attempts to reach her contact had failed. As Madara no longer spoke on behalf of Uchiha, he was unable to contact Hinata directly.

Even though his scheme for selling Neji to the Hyuga was stalled, he was convinced that the strategy had been sound. So much so that he intended to repeat it.

If he could not have Shikamaru then neither would Sasuke.

His problem was dealing with Centre. Every spacer knew that attracting Centre's attention was foolhardy. The safe course would be to tell Centre about Shikamaru without expecting anything in return. The Centralites would acquire the typed-seven genius they valued so highly. At worst Sasuke would be weakened and at best he would waste time and resources on futile attempts to get Shikamaru back.

Only it was tempting to try for more. Centre was so, so rich.

* * *

.

* * *

Shikamaru put the final touches to the communication for Itachi and sent it to Sasuke for approval.

They had concentrated on the Sakura and on their plan to jump the Linden through the hole. There were a few promising leads about the mindnet but they needed more research.

"Tomorrow we will work on the Orochimaru simulation," Sai stated.

"Not today?" Shikamaru queried; it was only mid afternoon.

"No. You would work better after a break, Shikamaru-san. Sumiko would enjoy a session in the simulator."

Sai was right, but Shikamaru did not want to socialise. It was fine when Neji was alone, but watching him being so attentive to Hinata was proving difficult to take. He sighed. He would have to get over it; the best outcome for everyone would be Hinata staying and swearing to Sasuke.

"Kiba-san is on the Linden interrogating minkies," Sai reminded him. "Haru's To-chan is with the triplets."

Spending some time with Na-chan was an excellent idea.

Tsu-chan showed him his latest drawing and explained the wonderfully imaginative world it represented while Na-chan played with Takara and Teruko.

It made Shikamaru yearn for all this to be over. He wanted to be in the nursery in Tarrasade telling children stories.

He wanted Haru home, even if he was too old for stories.

Naruto persuaded Te-chan and Ta-chan to join Tsu-chan drawing pictures by suggesting that their Papa needed some artwork for his office.

"Su-chan?" he queried.

"In the simulator," Shikamaru admitted, tensing for the usual argument; both Kiba and Neji thought Sumiko was far too fond of playing in the simulator.

Naruto just twitched his whiskers. "She is much happier."

Shikamaru relaxed. Naruto was right. Sumiko liked her close family unit being just him, her and Sai. She appreciated the extra freedom she had now that Neji was not regulating their lives. Thinking about it, she had taken on some of Neji's role, making sure Shikamaru slept, ate and had a supply of clean clothes.

"Shi-chan?"

"I am getting there."

Naruto smiled, lighting up the room. "Good. What do you want to talk about?"

Shikamaru looked at the triplets. They were absorbed in creating their pictures. He would speak softly, in a voice only Naruto could hear. "Klenn was right. I should never have sworn to Uchiha."

For a moment Naruto did not reply and Shikamaru wondered if he had stepped over a line he had not known was there.

"There is no going back," Naruto replied.

Naruto was right. The vow bound him. The only way out was the one Itachi had found for Kisame; becoming an individual Uchiha's beloved overrode the oath to Uchiha.

There were only two adult Uchihas. Sasuke had his beloved and as for Izuna; Shikamaru shuddered.

"Izuna," he explained.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing happened," Shikamaru insisted. If he told Naruto that Izuna had tried to rape him, Naruto would rip Izuna's head off. "He was persistent but he gave up in the end."

"Sasuke must remain Uchiha-sama," Naruto murmured.

Various pieces slotted together in Shikamaru's mind. "Izuna is building a position where he can claim the clan leadership."

Naruto did not reply immediately. Instead he watched his children. Shikamaru wondered if he was imagining their future if Izuna was Uchiha-sama.

His response, when it came, was unexpected. "Sasuke is unlikely to win a hand-to-hand combat."

Naruto was right. It could come down to that. Whoever had the better claim, the other could challenge.

"Can you make him a better fighter?" Shikamaru asked.

"It does not come naturally to him," Naruto admitted. "He is not a killer." He sighed. "It would be much better if it did not come to that."

Shikamaru's mind exploded with possibilities, most of which he dismissed; Sasuke would never agree to anything dishonourable.

"I shall think about it," he promised. "Once we have our people back."

Naruto nodded. "Once we have our people back and we have crushed the Akatsuki."

Shikamaru did not know if they could wait that long.

* * *

Sasuke was pleased; interrogating the nekos and minkies had been encouraging.

Handling the nekos had been easy; Naruto had treated them with respect and negotiated with the leader of the group. They had been willing to give up all the information they had, which was not much, in return for some start-up funds and a future far away from Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.

They were not willing to fight against Orochimaru. Naruto thought it was more about not wanting to fight the other nekos than personal loyalty to Orochimaru.

They were repodded and moved into storage on the Silver Leaf.

The minkies were potentially trickier because they were creatures of instinct and emotion. Sasuke decided to start with old-old-red-eight and his partner old-old-red-nineteen. They were in one room. Sasuke and Neji were in another, observing via cameras and microphones.

The two old minkies sat close together holding hands, which Sasuke found far sweeter than he would have been willing to admit.

When Kiba walked in their eyes and mouths went completely circular.

Kiba remembered their names, which was amazing considering how long ago it was and how many batches of minkies Kiba had raised. Old-old-red-eight was Pip and old-old-red-nineteen was Cott.

They fell over themselves to answer his questions and it turned out that they knew far more than the nekos. Sasuke decided that Orochimaru thought them far less intelligent than they actually were, so he was less guarded around them.

When Kiba suggested unpodding the sixty-strong squadron, Pip shook his head. He said that those minkies were young and hot-headed and fresh out of training. They expected to jump into their fighters and shoot at targets. Explaining the situation would take some time and Pip was not sure how they would react.

Sasuke remembered the young minkies on Jewel. Given time, he was sure that they could refocus the minkies' loyalty.

He could imagine Kuuya leading a squadron of minkies.

For now he would follow Pip's suggestion and keep them podded. They would be moved to the Silver Leaf's storage hold in case they ended up sacrificing the Linden.

He activated the link to Kiba's earpiece. "I think we will leave interrogating the other four older minkies until tomorrow."

Kiba looked toward one of the cameras and nodded.

"Sasuke-sama?" Neji queried.

"Yes, Neji-san."

"It might be useful to run the Orochimaru simulation Shika-san is preparing past these two."

Sasuke noticed that 'Shika' had become 'Shika-san'. "How do you think they would respond to being taken to the Renaissance?"

"I think they would be overwhelmed," Neji replied.

Sasuke decided that maybe they deserved it.

Kiba was less sure but Sasuke was too taken by the idea to abandon it. The minkies huddled together on the shuttle and froze in shock when they saw their accommodation.

It was the smallest of the guest apartments; designed for a single occupant but huge to two minkies accustomed to living at close quarters with a large group.

"I shall bring you some food," Kiba told them. "I expect you to keep the rooms nice. Don't leave without permission."

Cott pulled himself together enough to nod.

Pleased with himself, Sasuke headed for Naruto and the triplets. Neji excused himself, presumably going to find Hinata.

Sasuke was still uncertain that he had done the right thing in giving Neji permission to pursue the relationship. Maybe it would have been wiser to make him wait.

Shikamaru was with Naruto. Actually he was playing a make-believe game with the children while Naruto watched. Sasuke sat beside his beloved and tried to catch up with what appeared to be an interactive story.

The children loved playing their roles while Shikamaru acted all the other parts.

It was good to see Shikamaru enjoying himself.

He decided to stop trying to follow the story in favour of filling Naruto in with what had happened.

"You gave a pair of minkies a guest apartment?" he queried.

"Why not? They deserved it," Sasuke replied.

Naruto pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. "You can be such a softy."

Sasuke scowled at him but did not pull away.

Then the story ended with a dramatic death scene from Tsuneo, who was playing the baddy, and, at Shikamaru's suggestion, the triplets rushed over to show him the pictures they had made for his office.

He and Naruto supervised the triplets' evemeal, followed by bath time and bedtime. Tsuneo asked for a song rather than a story, so Naruto went to get the biwa Shikamaru had brought for him.

There was one for him and one for Hoshi. Sasuke knew that Shikamaru had been careful to choose the best two out of those in the household storerooms, testing each one to find those least likely to upset Naruto or the other hybrids.

He opened the case, lifted it out and tuned it. It was a nice instrument with a good sound.

But it wasn't his mother's biwa; that was lost forever.

It was both pleasurable and painful. There was music, but not the music that spoke to him so deeply. He was with his beloved and his children, but it reminded him that four of his children were in danger; three of them in the hands of a monster.

He sat next to Tsuneo's bed watching him sleep.

He loved each of them so much.

* * *

Kazuki waited a few minutes after lights-out before slipping from his bunk into Haru's.

It was weird being in total darkness. Normally there was some light, even during ship's night. Haru guessed it was one of Orochimaru's ways of reminding them that he was in control. He was saying 'I can steal one of your senses'.

It wasn't a good thought. Haru didn't doubt for a moment that Orochimaru would blind someone if the idea took his fancy; or chop off a hand, or a tongue, or castrate one of them.

The only reason he was being reasonable was because he was working on Yo-chan. He could not afford to leave any permanent marks on them because Yoshimi would react badly.

Haru was sure that Orochimaru was watching them. He was bound to have infra red cameras and microphones planted in the bunkroom.

That meant he did not mind Kazuki moving to Haru's bunk each night. Thinking about it, Orochimaru probably wanted them to be as close as possible, so that he could control each of them by threatening to hurt the other.

He lay on his side and snuggled back against Ka-chan's chest. The position was comfortable and familiar but the important thing was that it gave them the contact they needed to have conversations in long-short.

Kazuki's fingers moved in Haru's left palm. Haru used his right hand to stroke Ka-chan's tail.

They began with the usual argument.

"Do more," Kazuki coded.

"No," Haru replied.

"How long?"

"Itachi or Papa will come."

"Sure?"

The problem was that Haru wasn't sure. Perhaps Papa would never work out a way of jumping back into the system. Maybe Itachi-san was barely clinging to survival; unable to even think about a rescue.

"Yes," he lied. It was essential to keep Ka-chan from doing anything. Haku-san was putting his life on the line every day to distract Orochimaru's attention. Yoshimi, even if he did not know it, was sacrificing his personality tiny piece by tiny piece. Every day that they all survived was a triumph.

But Kazuki could not see it that way. Haru didn't blame him. It was hard. He did not know which was worse, watching Yoshimi becoming a stranger or when Haku-san's determination to appear normal faltered.

This morning had been bad. It was obvious that Haku-san was in pain; all his usual grace had gone. Haru had been able to see bruises through the concealing cosmetics.

How long could he last? Who would Orochimaru choose next?

The obvious choice was Ran. He was the oldest. Yoshimi was less likely to react badly if he found out. Orochimaru had already made comments about empaths being exceptional at fulfilling others' sexual desires.

The thought of it made Haru want to throw up.

"Haru?"

Ka-chan's touches were gentle, so they would not wake him if he had fallen asleep. "Still awake," he confirmed. "Must be ready," he added.

"Are ready," Kazuki reminded him.

Their plan was to react if something happened. They would use their superior knowledge of the Sakura's systems to hole up and defend their position.

"Want to rip his throat out," Ka-chan admitted.

"Me too."

There was a very faint rumble in Kazuki's chest; suppressed laughter at the thought of Haru attacking anyone, never mind with his teeth.

"Sleep," Kazuki suggested.

"Sleep," Haru agreed.

* * *

..


	40. Undercurrents

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, Whispering-Softly, bookworm9407, cynder81, black55widow, melissen, donalgraeme, 'Guest', Zach and cynder81, for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Some content in this chapter has been altered because it touched on themes that might be considered too adult for this site.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 5: Regroup**

**40: Undercurrents**

* * *

Haru stood quietly. He watched the Orochimaru print warily while appearing not to do so. He continually reminded himself of the role he was playing: young, naïve, and inexperienced.

It was the first time he had been alone with Orochimaru since the day he had been unpodded. Haru remembered him threatening to vivisect Ka-chan and felt sick.

Last time Orochimaru had wanted him to take the test. What would it be this time?

What threats would Orochimaru use to make him comply?

Until yesterday, the days had followed a pattern. There was a strict routine of mundane tasks that that they had to follow. The high points were two intense exercise sessions, supervised by nekos.

Haru had never imagined looking forward to going to the gym but the rest of the day was mind-numbingly boring. They cleaned and tidied in silence. They learned chunks of turgid poetry that Haru suspected Orochimaru or one of his prints had written. During breakfast and the midday meal Haku-san read to them. Evemeal was formal with the Orochimaru print controlling all conversation.

Each day they had a review. He, Ran and Kazuki would stand in a row in front of Orochimaru's desk and recite the poetry they had been set. Learning poetry was trivial for Haru, doable for Ka-chan and incredibly difficult for Ran. No matter how much Haru willed Ran to succeed, he always made mistakes.

After that the print would go through a list of the errors each of them had made since the last review meeting. As well as the poetry, Orochimaru had lists of every word spoken out of turn or task not satisfactorily completed. It was obvious that Orochimaru had them closely monitored throughout the day.

Then came the punishment. Haru was punished for Kazuki's errors, Ran for Haru's and Kazuki for Ran's.

Since that first day, when Haru had been punished with the prod, Kazuki had been remarkably well-behaved.

After them went Kichi and Tatsu, followed by Yoshimi. Kichi and Tatsu always came out crying. Haru did not know what happened to Yoshimi. From the look in his eyes when he emerged, Haru guessed it was a mixture of praise and drugs.

Yesterday the pattern had been broken. They only saw the Orochimaru print at the evemeal and he had been short-tempered.

Today there had been no sign of Haku-san, which was worrying.

The Orochimaru print shifted slightly. Haru recognised the signs and began paying attention rather than appearing to do so.

"There are things I wish to know and that I believe you can tell me, Haru-chan."

Haru mind filled with Itachi-san's advice about dealing with interrogation; everyone talked in the end, so talk from the beginning but manage the delivery of information. The Orochimaru print could not communicate with the Akatsuki without unblocking the hole and if he did that Papa would kill him. What mattered was not telling him anything that he could use against Itachi-san and the others. Anything else could be used as a distraction.

"How many holes are there in this system, Haru-chan?"

"One that I know of, Orochimaru-sama," Haru answered promptly.

"I am going to show you detailed data about this system. You are going to show me where other holes might be. Do you understand, Haru-chan?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. You want me to use my mathematical skills to analyse the data for anomalies and assess whether the anomalies might be holes."

Haru's mind was racing. Why was Orochimaru suddenly interested in holes? Had someone jumped into the system? Had Shi-chan found a jumpable hole in the data Papa had taken through the hole with him?

If so, telling Orochimaru about the hole would prevent an Uchiha counterattack.

Orochimaru was gesturing that he should sit at the console and examine the data. Haru complied. What should he do? If he refused to do the task, Ran and maybe Kazuki would be punished.

He would have to at least pretend to do it.

"You have until the evening meal, Haru-chan," Orochimaru informed him. "I expect a map showing all the holes by then and if I believe you have not done the task to the best of your abilities there will be consequences."

The Orochimaru print paused for effect and Haru waited.

"If I am dissatisfied with your work, Ran-chan will take Haku-san's place tonight."

Haru imagined Ran making an empathic link to Orochimaru and felt sick. He made himself ask. "And if I do the task to your satisfaction, Orochimaru-sama?"

The Orochimaru print smiled at him. "Then I shall make do with you, Haru-chan. Would you like that, Haru-chan?"

Better him than Ran, who would be forced to share his abuser's emotions. He forced the words from his throat. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

"Good. I shall return before the evening meal."

Then the Orochimaru print left and Haru realised that he was alone with a computer on an Uchiha ship.

This was his chance. He had to put aside Orochimaru's threats and make the most of it.

First he had to decide what to do about the holes. Developing the route finder had given him the expertise to do the task within minutes. Even without processing the data he could see that there were many anomalies, six of which might be holes. He thought that two might be jumpable with an improver while the other four were not.

He could create an analysis that would generate a false report but that was risky. Orochimaru might have more mathematical ability than was usual. Worse, he may already know the location of one or more of the holes.

What were the consequences of being caught lying? Probably even worse than failing to complete the task. Haru imagined Orochimaru vivisecting Ka-chan and swallowed.

What if he told Orochimaru about all six potential holes? If he already knew about one of them, the analysis would be validated. If he didn't, then he would still have the problem of having to stake out six locations. His resources would be spread widely and thinly, which would make Itachi-san's job easier.

That decided, he set to work. The trick was to appear to be doing as he had been asked while actually doing something else.

He quickly constructed a nineteen-step analysis that would yield six holes but not show the crucial differences between them. Then he wrote a simple simulation that made it look like he was inputting commands and pausing after each step.

He decided that it would take one hundred and seventy-eight minutes. He hoped that was a believable amount of time.

Once it was running he began hacking. He wasn't as good as Sai at hiding his actions but he was probably better at it than Shi-chan.

Orochimaru had not physically isolated the system, probably because he was monitoring what was happening.

Haru checked; there were monitoring programmes but they were only reporting the nineteen-step analysis.

Then he was out of the local computer and into the ship's systems; their security was utterly inadequate against someone who had cut his teeth breaking the best Shi-chan could devise.

What were the priorities? He thought of all the missions Itachi-san had designed for them and all the debriefs that had followed. He needed backdoors everywhere. Then, if an opportunity presented itself he would be able to use any interface, unlock any door and override any security.

To his delight this Akatsuki system was based on one of In-san's. They had added layers and changed the settings but the core of it was familiar, which was a massive advantage.

Below that was the Uchiha hardware, which he knew backwards.

Backdoors established, the next priority was providing cover for clandestine activities. The best option was during ship's night. He found the monitoring system; as he had thought, the Orochimaru print had infrared cameras and microphones throughout their level of the ship, including the bunkroom.

He copied the recordings from the last three nights, merged them and then hid the result so that he could call on it to replace the live feed.

He was about to move on to communications when the door opened. Standards of experience hiding Sai meant that he could move seamlessly into the surface operations without the slightest hint that he had been doing anything else.

"Have you made progress, Haru-chan?" the Orochimaru print asked.

Haru described what he was doing and what he intended to do next. "I think it is working, Orochimaru-sama. I have mapped all the anomalies. Now I have to cross reference them to the characteristics of holes."

"Show me the mapped anomalies," Orochimaru ordered.

He watched the Orochimaru print studying the map, probably looking for a hole he knew was there.

"Good work, Haru-chan. How much longer do you think you will need?"

He decided to stick to the schedule he had devised. "Another thirty minutes, Orochimaru-sama."

"Very well," Orochimaru acknowledged but he did not leave. Instead he sat down at the other side of the room.

Haru guessed that the Orochimaru print had a hunch that something was amiss but hadn't worked out what; perhaps what his monitoring programmes had told him was slightly at odds with what he had seen via a camera.

Or maybe he was just suspicious, or trying to intimidate Haru with his presence. If that was his intent, it was working.

Haru decided to take over and speed up the analysis. At twenty-two minutes he reached the end of the ninetieth step and announced that he was finished.

Orochimaru was not happy to be presented with six potential holes. He insisted on being walked through each of the nineteen steps.

When Haru finished Orochimaru leaned back. "You have worked well, Haru-chan. You have won your place in my bed."

Haru's mouth dried and his gut twisted. "Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."

"You will return to the others. You will tell them nothing about our assignation tonight."

"I understand, Orochimaru-sama."

The others were cleaning the bunkroom. Orochimaru insisted it was scrubbed from top to bottom every day. As always, speaking was banned. The only noises were Tatsu weeping and the sound of brushes against metal.

Haru's eyes were drawn to Yoshimi. Lady knew what the Orochimaru print was giving him. Physically he was only a little under par but mentally he was worse each day. Haru could see that he had started to cling to the routine that the rest of them so hated.

With no one actually in the room supervising them, Haru risked a comforting touch to Yo-chan's arm as he passed. Yo-chan turned on him; for a moment Haru thought he might growl or even snap. He didn't; recognition replaced confusion and he smiled.

It wasn't a very convincing smile but it was good to see. Haru smiled in return.

Haru found his brush and filled a small pail with the cleaning solution. He folded up his bedding and started scrubbing his bunk.

He was careful to place himself so that he had a clear view of Kazuki.

Ka-chan's tail twitched. "Where were you?" he asked in long-short.

"On a computer," Haru answered using long and short scrubs.

Kazuki's response was an interrogative bristle rather than words.

"Backdoors in," Haru replied. "Usual codes." It was a huge relief to have told Ka-chan. Now someone else could take advantage of what he had done, even if he was not available.

Given what was going to happen tonight, he might not be.

When Ran went to clean the shower, Haru broke off what he was doing and went to help him. Some days it was the only contact they got; shoulder to shoulder on the floor, scrubbing.

Ran's eyes asked him how he was. His smile replied fine.

It was true. Haru had no hesitation in going to Orochimaru if it saved Ran from having to do it.

The rest of the day followed the standard pattern except for Haku-san not being there. Then, after the meal, as they returned to the bunkroom, a neko appeared.

She had a control pad strapped to her forearm. Haru knew what that meant; she could activate their controllers.

He fell back so she would have a better opportunity of separating him from the others without Kazuki overreacting. It almost worked but not quite. She moved to detain him before Ka-chan was all the way into the bunkroom and he had turned to attack within a blink of an eye.

Haru watched him convulse in agony as the controller felled him.

Then, without warning, Yo-chan was on the neko. He had flipped; it was all the neko could do to stop him killing her. She either couldn't reach or had forgotten the control pad.

Beyond the fight, Haru could see Ran pushing Kichi and Tatsu into the bunkroom. The neko screamed and blood spurted to paint an arc across the wall and ceiling; Yo-chan had managed to claw his way to an artery.

Two more nekos arrived but hung back. Ran reappeared in the doorway and pulled Ka-chan's unconscious body inside.

Haru watched. It felt like a dream, or perhaps a simulation. Then the Orochimaru print was there. Yo-chan convulsed and collapsed; unconscious.

Orochimaru turned to the nekos. "Get her to the infirmary before I decide she isn't worth saving."

The three nekos left. Orochimaru picked up Yoshimi and carried him through into the bunkroom. By craning his neck, Haru could see him laying Yo-chan on his bunk and making sure that he was safe and comfortable.

Seeing the Orochimaru print being so gentle was disconcerting.

Orochimaru joined him in the corridor, closing and locking the door of the bunkroom.

"Follow me, Haru-chan."

Haru obeyed.

They went through the captain's office and into the cabin beyond. Haru looked at the bed. He tried to imagine what would happen there and failed.

Orochimaru pointed to a door. "Get yourself thoroughly clean. Discard your clothes; you will have no need of them."

Haru escaped into the shower room. He closed the door, took off his clothes, washed and dried himself in the blowers.

Then he took a deep breath and opened the door.

Rin-san was there. They stared at each other; he was surprised but she looked horrified.

"No," she whispered. She turned to Orochimaru. "Please, Orochimaru-sama. Not Haru. He is only a child."

The Orochimaru print studied him. "He does look rather underdeveloped. On the other hand, he volunteered."

Rin-san gaped before pulling herself together. "Only to protect the others, Orochimaru-sama. He is too young."

Orochimaru turned to her. "Do you have another suggestion, Chief Medico Rin? If you have, I suggest you are quick. Otherwise you can wait in my study until Haru-chan has need of you."

To Haru's surprise, Rin-san started to strip. It didn't feel right to watch so he looked at Orochimaru instead. It was worse; Haru didn't have words to describe Orochimaru's expression but he knew he did not like it.

He looked at a wall and blinked back tears.

"What do you have to say to me Rin-chan? I recommend you make it good."

He could not stop himself glancing. Rin-san was naked and kneeling on the ground; her forehead pressed to the ground.

"Please let me stay instead, Orochimaru-sama," she whispered.

"Not good enough, Rin-chan," he warned. "Try harder."

"Please, Orochimaru-sama," Rin-san replied in a slightly louder voice.

Orochimaru made a show of considering and then shook his head. "Not enough enthusiasm, Rin-chan."

Rin-san tried again and Haru told himself not to listen. He knew it was all about making Rin-san feel bad. The more embarrassed she became, the more amused the Orochimaru print became.

"You make a very unconvincing case, Rin-chan. You know what I want, Rin. I suggest you offer it or leave."

There was silence. Haru risked looking at Rin-san, whose forehead was still touching the floor. From the side he could see that her face was completely white. Her eyes and mouth were squeezed shut. He could see her forcing her lips apart in order to speak.

"Please be the father of my child, Orochimaru-sama."

The thought of Orochimaru as a father made Haru want to throw up.

"How kind of you to ask, Rin-chan," Orochimaru replied. "I would like that very much." He smiled. "Haru-chan can watch. It will be educational for him."

Haru froze. It wasn't as if he hadn't looked at pictures; his hybrid brothers were obsessed with stuff like that. It was the thought of Rin-san doing it. Worse, she would be doing it for him. Worst, she had agreed to conceive Orochimaru's child because of him.

"Please, Orochimaru-sama," Rin-san begged. "Let him leave."

The Orochimaru print made a show of considering. "Very well. Haru-chan, you will wait in my office until a neko comes to escort you to the bunkroom."

Haru knew he should argue. He should beg that Orochimaru make do with him; he couldn't get pregnant. Instead he scuttled out of the room.

"Leave the door open, Haru-chan," Orochimaru instructed, "so I can keep an eye on you until the neko arrives."

It was horrid. He kept his back to the doorway and put his fingers in his ears but he could not get what the Orochimaru print was doing to Rin-san out of his head.

Finally, thankfully, the other door opened and a neko beckoned him forward.

Someone had cleaned up the blood. When the neko opened the door, the light from the corridor illuminated the bunkroom for a moment before he was pushed inside and the door shut behind him. Kichi and Tatsu were curled up together in a bunk. Kazuki and Yoshimi were still unconscious or asleep.

Ran was lying in his bunk with his eyes open, looking towards the doorway.

Haru crept across the pitch dark room in that direction. When he hit something he identified it by touch and worked his way sideways to Ran's bunk.

He knew he should be going to his own bunk; Ran would be able to feel his emotions and Haru did not know what he was feeling but it wasn't nice.

A hand closed on his arm and pulled him under the covers.

He hadn't realised how cold he was.

Ran held him close, which made him feel a bit better.

"Are you injured?" he whispered.

Haru didn't want to speak but Ran wouldn't be able to see him shake his head in the dark. "No," he managed. Once started he made himself keep going. "Rin-san asked to stay with him so I would not have to."

The arms around him tightened. "He'd have done it anyway," Ran insisted.

"But..." Haru objected.

"It's not your fault, Haru. It's his. He wants you to blame yourself. Don't. Blame him."

Part of Haru knew Ran was right. The rest felt that he was letting people down.

Then he thought of what he had done earlier in the day. He didn't dare tell Ran because there might be microphones but just thinking about it made him feel a little better.

He snuggled closer.

Now they would have a chance when Itachi-san or Papa came.

* * *

..


	41. Rethink

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, Whispering-Softly, bookworm9407, cynder81, black55widow, 'Guest', Zach, cynder81, melissen and donalgraeme for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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I think we can go back to two chapters a week for a while. Readers' support has helped me write my way through the block I was experiencing. Thank you!

So postings will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays until further notice.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: Scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by ooo*****ooo.**

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**Leader**

**Part 5: Regroup**

**41: Rethink**

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The light speed data relay on the minigate activated five days after Itachi's first message, as requested.

Shikamaru was stripped and in the simulator as soon as he had confirmation that there was an incoming message. This was it; the moment they discovered if the second hole could be jumped. Either there would be a signal from Tennyo Six, sent when she jumped into the system, or there would not.

Sai expanded and deciphered the incoming communication. Shikamaru waited; barely able to breathe.

It was there. Relief washed through his body. An explosion of thoughts closed down many possibilities and opened others.

He made himself ignore them and activated the direct channel to Sasuke. "This is Shikamaru. We have a signal from Tennyo Six. The second hole can be jumped."

"_Thank the Lady,"_ Sasuke murmured. _"Thank you for telling me so quickly."_

He closed the channel and began scanning the other components of the message.

"Shikamaru-san?"

"Yes, Sai-kun?"

"The light speed data relay was operational for two hundred and thirteen seconds. This implies a jump window of between three hundred and three hundred and fifty seconds."

That was much, much shorter than the first time Itachi had disabled the disruptor.

Jumping a ship with a Mulligan drive took a great deal longer than three hundred seconds; it meant the end of their plan to jump the Linden into the system and explode it.

They would have to rely solely on the Maple and the other ships she was carrying. It would be enough. Kakashi would deal with Orochimaru, disable the disruptor, clear the bombs and open the hole.

It was a disappointment; he and Sai had already put so much work into the autopilot and the Orochimaru simulation.

"We can use the Orochimaru sim another time," Shikamaru suggested. "Maybe when we go after the original."

"You have not opened Itachi-san's communication," Sai replied, which was worrying.

Before he could do so, a voice came over the radio.

"_He's__ going to block the second hole."_

It was Sasuke and Shikamaru had never heard him so panicked.

"_We should never have tested the hole or launched the transmitter. We should have waited for the Maple."_

Thank the Lady it was a private channel. "Sasuke-sama?"

"_There is Akatsuki activity at the second hole. Itachi thinks they have the components for another disruptor."_

Shikamaru almost pointed out that the potential advantages of checking the hole had outweighed the risks but stopped himself. "Sasuke-sama, what is done is done."

There was a short silence; Shikamaru thought that he could hear Sasuke breathing deeply to calm himself. _"We will discuss options in our meeting this afternoon."_

"I shall analyse all parts of this morning's communication and arrive at the meeting with suggestions," Shikamaru promised.

* * *

Sasuke closed the channel to Shikamaru. He was trembling. First there had been the elation of hearing that the second hole could be jumped and then the crushing disappointment of learning it would be blocked. For a few minutes he had allowed himself to imagine his people returned and his children safe. Now there was no realistic prospect of rescue.

Even so, losing control was unforgivable. He was Uchiha-sama. He was Papa. He was ashamed of himself and thankful that only Shikamaru had witnessed his weakness.

His eyes went to the wall opposite his desk where there would normally be the drawing of Naruto walking away or a portrait of his family.

There was neither because this was not his office. He was on the Linden, in what had been the Orochimaru print's study.

Instead on the wall there were the three drawings the triplets had made for him. Looking at them made it both better and worse; worse because it reminded him of Yoshimi, Kazuki, Kuuya and Haru; better because it reminded him of why they must never give up.

He summoned his resolve. The next step was to work out a way to tell the others. He imagined the disappointment in Naruto's eyes, then Keizo's and, most heartbreaking, in Yasushi's.

He activated the intercom. _"This is Sasuke. Naruto, please could you come to my office as soon as you are available."_

Naruto listened to the news. His eyes did not darken and his whiskers did not droop; there was no suggestion that Sasuke had fallen short. Instead he looked and sounded determined.

"Blocking a second hole will spread their resources more thinly. Even if the Akatsuki get the second disruptor operational before the Maple arrives, Itachi and the others will nibble away until one or other of the disruptors is damaged in a way that cannot be mended with the components that the Akatsuki have with them."

Sasuke hugged him; grateful to him for remaining so positive. He did not mention that the wreckage of the Oak probably contained every component that the Akatsuki could ever need. He did not remind Naruto that the Akatsuki could fall back on bombs to disrupt the jump field every time one of the disruptors was put out of action.

He did not point out that the Orochimaru print had Haru and, if Haru gave up what he knew, Itachi's job would be nigh on impossible.

They told the children together. Yasushi's expression was exactly as Sasuke had feared, with huge sad eyes and drooping whiskers.

"We are meeting this afternoon to discuss options," he hear himself say and then felt worse; this evening Yasushi would ask if they had come up with something and he would have to say no.

* * *

Shikamaru started with Itachi's message. Between them, he and Sai dissected the information and cross referenced it to what they already knew.

At the end was a promise to put the disruptor out of action again on the day the Maple was due to jump into the system and an assurance that all their people would be well away from the hole in case they decided to send through a bomb.

He sighed. When Itachi had recorded the message he had not known how quickly the enemy would react to the second disruptor malfunction.

"Shikamaru-san?"

"Yes, Sai-kun?"

"I can jump the Linden within three hundred seconds. See."

Shikamaru watched the simulation. To his astonishment it could be done. The miniature Mulligan drive could be kept powered up, on the edge of generating a jump field. It required continuous constant corrections, but Sai was fast enough to provide them. It would reduce the life of the drive, but that did not matter because the plan was to destroy the drive. It would be extremely detrimental to anyone aboard who had a flesh and blood body but Sai did not have a flesh and blood body.

Sai would survive the jump but he was unlikely to survive the subsequent explosion.

"You are not going to be on the ship, Sai-kun. No one is going to be aboard."

"I have to be aboard," Sai argued. "Otherwise the jump is not possible. You saw the simulations."

"No," Shikamaru insisted. "That is the end of it, Sai."

"You could make me a box that would survive the explosion."

Shikamaru considered the possibility for all of a moment. "I cannot build such a box within the time period with the materials to hand. I don't know that I could build such a box with unlimited time and resources."

There was a pause before Sai came up with another argument. "You could build the best box you can and I could back me up in case it does not work."

It was a valid argument. A back-up would be possible; Sai had moved from the abandoned data crystal array to the one Klenn had given Haru. They had seven days; if Tennyo One could not get him a suitable array in time, Shikamaru would wipe the one he had with him.

He checked; it might be possible to get twenty-seven five cubed arrays in time. He sent a message via the minigate to his usual supplier and another to Tennyo One. As an afterthought he included a wish list of supplies he would need to build a radiation and blast proof box.

"So you will build the best box you can and I shall back me up in case it does not work," Sai checked. "Then you will know that help will be on its way to Haru and Ran and Kazuki in seven days' time."

If they did not do this, Haru and the others could be with the Orochimaru print for divs, even standards; Yo-chan had already been a prisoner for thirty-five days. "Yes," Shikamaru agreed.

There was a great deal to do. They had to build the housing for the new fifteen cubed array, design and build the blast-proof box and adapt the Linden's systems so that Sai could control them.

He and Sai created a schedule, identified tasks and considered who was available to carry them out. It would be tight but if everyone contributed they should make it.

"Shikamaru-san," Sai said as they were finishing the presentation he would make to Sasuke that afternoon. "You will be shuttling between the Renaissance and the Linden. It will be much more efficient if I am with you."

Shikamaru froze. Su-chan was not going to like that one little bit.

"I shall explain to Sumiko when you go to the meeting this afternoon," Sai assured him. "It is almost time for your midday meal," he added. "Your alarm will sound in forty-two seconds."

Hinata had prepared the meal, which was considerate of her because the other adults had duties and she did not. Unfortunately it meant that the food was not familiar.

Shikamaru caught Sumiko's eye and mouthed 'projectors'. She scowled at him but he could see that she understood.

Kiba reacted quickly, selecting from the plainer dishes and constructing three plates, one for each of the triplets. Tsuneo chomped his way happily through his while Takara and Teruko picked at the food on theirs with suspicion.

Neji was eating with real pleasure; Shikamaru had never seen him so interested in food. Shikamaru served himself and tried a forkful. It was different but he acknowledged that he could come to like it.

"This is very good, Hinata-san," he tried, interested in finding out more.

"Thank you, Shikamaru-san. My mother had no talent for cooking but Neji-san's mother was kind enough to teach me."

Shikamaru found himself suppressing a smile; there was no way he could compete with someone who could cook like Neji's mother.

They were on the shuttle to the Linden directly after their meal. As always, Neji piloted and Shikamaru looked after communications.

"Hinata cares enough to cook you dishes your mother made," Shikamaru observed.

Neji flushed slightly. "It is nice," he admitted. "A flavour of home."

Shikamaru never thought of Darrenden as home. For him, home was his crew; his family.

"We were promised to each other."

Shikamaru blinked. He had not known that. Neji had never mentioned it before. "They didn't pair her up with someone else after you left?"

"It does not work like that. You are born into a position and many aspects of that position are predetermined."

It sounded like a breeding programme to Shikamaru but he did not think Neji would like him putting it that way. "Being together must be nice. You are free but you have each other as a connection to your lives before."

Neji was looking at him. "I do miss what we had," he admitted.

Shikamaru avoided eye contact. "So do I." He chose to smile. "But the time had come for us to move on."

* * *

Sasuke listened carefully to what Shikamaru had to say and then studied the plan. Everything he knew about jumping holes and controlling a drive told him it was unfeasible.

There again, Shika specialised in making the impossible happen. They had minigates and the route finder. Naruto could walk again.

"You are sure you can do it?" he queried.

"If everything is ready and there is a long enough jump window. Two hundred and eighty-nine seconds is the minimum. The explosion will destroy everything in the vicinity of the hole, including that side of the minigate."

"And the hole will be jumpable afterwards?"

Shikamaru hesitated. "The physics says it should be. Yes."

"Will there be any damage on this side of the hole?"

"There shouldn't be but we will be standing off from the hole."

"What if the field is disrupted, the jump fails and the explosion happens on this side?"

"That is highly unlikely, but it is another reason for having our ships well clear of the hole on this side. We have run numerous simulations, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke allowed himself to hope. "Then we had better get to work. The schedule looks tight." He activated the intercom. "This is Sasuke. There is an urgent and immediate briefing. Everyone should attend, including those on watch."

The best part of telling the others was Yasushi's reaction. His smile lit up the whole room. When the briefing ended he rushed over and treated his Papa to a hug.

"You should thank Shika-san," Sasuke pointed out.

Ya-chan hugged Shikamaru as well. Then he was off, keen to begin the tasks that had been assigned to him.

His place was taken by Naruto. Shikamaru was lifted up and spun about. Sasuke watched them. It was too long since he had seen Naruto happy.

Then his eyes went to Neji, who was silent and motionless at the side of the room.

"Neji and I will be in my office," he said, which surprised him almost as much as it did Neji.

On his way up the ladder, Sasuke had time to think why he wanted to speak to Neji alone. He decided that it was because Neji was cut off from those who would normally check on him; Haku, Iruka and, of course, Shika.

"Sasuke-sama?" Neji queried once they were alone.

"How are you?" Sasuke asked.

Neji was utterly expressionless, which was not a good sign. "I am well, Sasuke-sama."

"And Hinata-san?"

"She is well also, Sasuke-sama."

"Good. You understand that you can come to me about anything?"

"That is kind of you, Sasuke-sama."

There was silence. Sasuke resisted the urge to fill it by speaking first.

"Shika-san is spending most of his waking time in Haru's simulator," Neji told him. "However, he is sleeping and eating and his caffeine intake is much reduced compared to when he was working at his desk."

"Are you worried about him?" Sasuke asked.

Neji considered. "On balance, given the danger Haru is in, I think he is doing well. Being able to think of a way past the blocked hole has helped greatly, as has being reunited with Naruto-san, the triplets and you."

"That is good news, Neji-san. We will be moving to the Renaissance soon. I look forward to getting to know Hinata-san."

Neji hesitated.

Sasuke waited.

"I do not think that Naruto-san feels the same way, Sasuke-sama."

It was true; Naruto had not wanted him to give Neji permission to pursue a relationship with Hinata. "Naruto worries about Shika," Sasuke replied. "As Shika-san supports your decision, I am sure Naruto will become accustomed to the idea."

Even so, what Neji had said niggled. Sasuke waited until later in the day when he and Naruto were on their way back to the Linden after visiting the triplets on the Renaissance.

"Shika and Neji," he began.

Naruto's whiskers twitched in the way that said, "You made a decision that was yours to make and I support you in that even though I disagree." For whiskers they could be pretty articulate.

"Why did you think I should not have given Neji permission to have a relationship with Hinata?"

Naruto checked the controls of the shuttle. "You said yes because Shi-chan asked you to."

"That is not an answer to my question."

Blue eyes turned to him. "Shi-chan was too quick to let Neji go,"

Sasuke knew Naruto well enough to know there was more. "And?"

"Why does Hinata want Neji?""

It was a good question. "Maybe she doesn't. Maybe Neji will find out that the attraction is one-sided."

Naruto shook his head. "I can smell her on him. They have been fucking since the day after you gave your permission."

Sasuke was surprised. He had imagined Hinata being more cautious. "Maybe she loves him."

Naruto's nostrils flared in disbelief. "Maybe she's desperate to tie him to her because she has given up everything else she knows."

It was a possibility. "I hope that they discover that they love each other," Sasuke replied.

Naruto's eyes softened. "You are such a romantic."

Sasuke moved closer. "You made me that way."

"I have to dock the shuttle," Naruto reminded him.

They managed to get out of the shuttle, through the docking bay and two-thirds up the ladder before the questions started. Inari had a query about the drive control systems. Gai wanted to know if they were going to strip the Renaissance before using it as a bomb. Hoshi had a question about the work schedule and Yuki was asking if they had eaten.

All Sasuke wanted was to get to their cabin so that he could be alone with Naruto. He referred Inari to Shikamaru and told Gai that they would discuss the matter next morning but before he could answer Hoshi, Keizo had whispered something in her ear.

"Tomorrow will be fine, Papa," she said quickly.

"I'll make up a basket for you," Yuki added. "I'll put it outside your door."

Then, like magic, they had gone and Sasuke was free to follow Naruto up the ladder.

"Did Kei-chan just...?" he began and trailed off.

"The exact words were 'Special cuddles time'," Naruto informed him.

Sasuke flushed.

"Teme, I howl and you squeal. It's not like they don't know we fuck."

"I do not squeal," Sasuke objected.

"Scream then."

Naruto stepped off the ladder, leaned down and grasped his forearm. Sasuke tensed his body so that Naruto could boost him up the final five rungs and into an embrace.

Once they kissed everything else faded away. There was just Naruto; his Naruto. They stripped each other and then showered together.

Sasuke sponged Naruto's skin, delighting in the caramel skin with its coating of soft, golden hairs. He crouched down, washing first one foot and then the other, smiling at Naruto's small huffs when the sponge swept over his ticklish soles.

Upwards to the small scar on his calf; the one Kazuki's baby teeth had made and Naruto had chosen to keep. Suddenly Sasuke mind was full of Kazuki and Haru. What would Ka-chan do if the Orochimaru print hurt Haru? How would the Orochimaru print react?

Naruto pulled him to his feet, wrapped him in long arms and held him close.

"We will be strong, as they will be strong, until we are reunited," Naruto told him.

"But..." Sasuke began.

Naruto kissed the words from his lips and stopped those that would have followed with his tongue.

Sasuke yielded and then responded. The intensity of the kiss left him trembling. Naruto rinsed them off, activated the blowers and then groomed him while they dried.

Sasuke concentrated on Naruto's touch and the hope Shika had given them.

"I love you," Naruto whispered, sending shivers across Sasuke's skin.

"Forever," Sasuke echoed.

**ooo*****ooo**

* * *

**.**


	42. Sacrifice

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, JustSomeGuy, Whispering-Softly, bookworm9407, cynder81, black55widow, 'Guest', Zach, cynder81, melissen and donalgraeme for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 6: Counterattack**

**42: Sacrifice**

* * *

Shikamaru had been a day away from wiping his data crystal array when Tennyo One arrived with the twenty-seven five cubed arrays and the additional materials for some of the nested blast-proof boxes.

He set Kiba working on the boxes while he wired the five cubed arrays into the housing he had constructed. Each time he made a connection Sai tested it, which speeded the task up.

"What will happen to Haru and Ran and Kazuki and the other prisoners when we attack?" Sai asked.

"I don't know," Shikamaru admitted. "Knowing Itachi, I expect he has a plan."

"The logical choice for the Orochimaru print would be to use them as shield," Sai pointed out.

"I know that, Sai-kun."

"So by attacking we could initiate their deaths?"

Shikamaru hands shook at the thought of it. "Sai, saying things like that upsets me and when I am upset I cannot concentrate. Maybe you should go play with Su-chan for a bit."

"She is not talking to me."

Shikamaru sighed; he should have realised that Sumiko would react badly to their plan. He put his tools down and pushed up his goggles. "I'll have ten minutes off and speak with Su-chan."

He knew she was not with Kiba and a quick check confirmed that she was not with Naruto and the triplets. Finally he found her sitting in her bedroom with her back to the door.

"Su-chan?"

She whipped about; he could see that she had been crying. "Nii-san? You are meant to be building the box for Sai."

"I am constructing the new array. Kiba-san is working on the box."

She scowled at him. "I want you to work on the box. The box is more important than the new array."

Shikamaru disagreed. The box was unlikely to survive the explosion but that was acceptable because Sai would be backed up. He sat down on the bed beside her. "Su-chan, Sai will be fine. He will be in the new array."

She shook her head. "You don't understand. That won't be Sai. It will be a copy of the bits that make up Sai but it won't be Sai."

"Sai moved from the data crystal array in my cupboard to this one." He tapped the box at his belt. "He is still Sai."

"That was a move, not a copy. This is different. It's like making a print. I want Sai, not a Sai print."

Shikamaru had not seen her so upset for standards, not since she had stopped pleading with him to bring back Ma and Pa.

What if she refused to accept that the copy of Sai was Sai? It would be terrible for both of them; her and Sai.

"I'll finish the array and then I will work on the box," he promised.

She blinked back tears. "And you will put in a transponder so we can find him after the explosion?"

"I will build in a transponder," he assured her. "Su-chan, you should spend some time with Sai."

The tears were back. "Because he is going to die?"

Shikamaru swallowed his frustration. She was only eight and he understood how terrified she was of losing another person she loved. "He's not going to die, Su-chan."

"You'll make the box as good as it can be," she checked. "You promise."

Shikamaru didn't want to promise. Other things were more important.

"Promise," Sumiko demanded.

He sighed. He would find time to make all the improvements Sai had had put on the 'if we have time' list. "I promise. I had better go back, Su-chan. There is a lot to do. Either go spend some time with Sai in the simulator or find Naruto-san."

She nodded. "Yes, Nii-san."

* * *

To Haru's surprise, things returned to normal the day after all the disruption. Haku-san was back. If Yoshimi remembered anything about his attack on the neko, he did not show it. There was no sign of Rin-san. The Orochimaru print did not mention computers, or holes, or having any interest in fucking Haru.

Haru shivered; he should not be thinking of their daily routine as normal and he certainly should not be relieved to return to it.

Another day followed and then two others. Yo-chan spent more time staring at nothing. Ran worked out better strategies for learning poetry. Each day Haku-san needed more cosmetics to cover fresh bruises.

Haru wondered what would happen when he gave out and had to be tanked again. Would Rin-san be expected to take his place? Or Ran? Or him?

The fifth day after the day that was different they returned from their afternoon session in the gym to find Kuuya sitting on the bunk above Yoshimi's.

Haru's spirits lifted to see him before he remembered where they were and how little he wanted another of his hybrid brothers in Orochimaru's hands.

Yoshimi ran towards him only to stop halfway and stand, trembling. Kuuya hopped down from the bunk and closed the gap between them. Haru could not hear what was said, it was beyond his hearing range, but Yo-chan accepted an embrace, resting his head against Kuuya's shoulder.

One of the fingers against Yoshimi's back was twitching. Haru envisioned the cameras he had discovered when hacking and moved to block their view.

It was long-short.

"Day forty-two. Must be ready."

Today was the fortieth day after the attack on the Oak.

Haru found himself thinking many thoughts at once, which did might work for Shi-chan but didn't for him. He calmed himself down and managed to settle on two.

Kuuya had allowed himself to be captured to bring them information.

He had to do something about their controllers.

* * *

Everyone had a list, even Shikamaru who was renowned for hating them. The master list was in Sasuke's hands, if they were to finish on time, so that modified systems on the Linden could be thoroughly tested, everything on the list had to be completed by ship's dawn on the day before they were expecting the hole to open.

Sasuke kept the list with him at all times and, for once, Naruto did not tease him about it. They had two ship's nights and one ship's day. Everyone had to be off the Linden and well away before ship's dawn the day after tomorrow.

He pinned it to the wall of their room with a magnet; it would be safe there until the morning.

"Teme?"

Sasuke turned around. Naruto was sitting on their bed. His eyes were serious. Sasuke sat down beside him. "Dobe?"

"Inari thinks it's impossible."

"What? Jumping the hole quickly enough?" They all had their doubts about that.

"No, controlling the drive autonomously. He doesn't think even Shi-chan could create a programme to do it."

"Then we fail."

"Or Shi-chan doesn't intend to leave it to a programme."

It was like a punch in the gut. Sasuke could imagine Shika doing it; he loved Haru and the other children so much. "That is not an option," he stated.

Naruto whiskers twitched. "You'll make sure?"

"I'll make sure. I'll insist that all testing is done from the Renaissance and you must guard Shika personally to make absolutely sure he does not sneak back."

"Good," Naruto acknowledged and smiled.

Shikamaru opened the lid of the innermost box.

"Time for him to go in, Su-chan."

Sumiko kissed the outside of Sai's box and nestled it down into the impact-absorbing lining. Shikamaru made the connections, replaced the lid and sealed it into place.

"Next is the special plastic," Sumiko reminded him. "The one that will form the super-hard box if it melts."

"That's right," Shikamaru agreed.

After that came the boxes and wraps made from different forms of amour. He had even included two made from the heat shield from a shuttle designed to enter the atmosphere of a planet. Then there were many layers of ablative material inside the outermost triple-layered container.

They ended up with a cube that was two-thirds of Sumiko's height.

Shikamaru added and connected in the interfaces. "Can you hear me?" he asked.

"Shikamaru-san, Sumiko-chan," Sai acknowledged. "All six of the communication pathways are operational."

Shikamaru was relieved; even though they had tested every component and every connection, it was always good when it came together.

"We will be able to talk?" Su-chan asked. "Even after you have installed Sai on the Linden?"

"For now," Shikamaru confirmed. "Once Sai has the Mulligan drive on the edge of jumping there will be too much radiation. It will interfere."

Sumiko smiled at him. "Sai and I are going to play in the simulator until you take him over to the Linden and begin installing him. After that he will be too busy to play."

Shikamaru smiled back. "You do that, Su-chan."

He watched her climbing into the simulator. Then his eyes went back to the container. He had kept his promise; he had made the best box he could.

It still had close to zero chance of surviving the explosion but there was no need to tell Su-chan that.

Shikamaru had a plan. He would look for Sai's array, because a low possibility was not zero. When he found the remains he would say that the radiation had made Sai's array unstable, so Sai had moved to the new one.

That way she would accept the back-up as Sai.

* * *

The discussion had taken them most of the day because long-short was so slow and they paused whenever there was a neko watching them or the Orochimaru print was present.

Kazuki and Kuuya agreed with him that they needed to disable the controllers. The problem was how.

The turning point was a question Kuuya asked. "Do the collars have transmitters?"

They didn't. Haru was sure of it. Even Shi-chan struggled to get all the technology required for a controller into a slim collar. Even though Orochimaru's version was wider, Haru was certain it did not have the space or the power for a transmitter.

"Cut them off," Kuuya suggested. "Night of forty-one."

"It will activate when the outer layer is breached," Ka-chan pointed out.

"Let it," Kuuya replied.

Haru let the idea sink in. They would be knocked out and it would hurt a lot, but the collar would be off.

"How long were you out?" he asked Kazuki.

Ka-chan considered. "Around forty minutes."

It might be longer for the rest of them; Kazuki was tough. Even so, Haru could not think of an alternative.

"Yoshimi?" Kuuya asked.

It was a good point. The Orochimaru print had been stupid; he had removed Shi-chan's collar before adding his own. Haru knew that was so because otherwise Yo-chan wouldn't have flipped.

"I can take down Yoshimi," Kazuki assured them.

Haru doubted that even Ka-chan could handle Yoshimi when he was berserk. Kazuki hadn't seen Yo-chan attack the neko; he had been unconscious.

They were including Yoshimi; extra risk or not.

"Cutter?" he asked.

"I have tools," Kuuya reassured him. "And five knockout needles."

"How?" Ka-chan asked.

"You don't want to know," Kuuya replied.

Haru was lost for a moment and then he caught on.

Eeewww!

* * *

All but eight items on Sasuke's list were marked off as complete. Five of that eight were ahead of schedule. Of the remaining three, only the modifications to the drive control systems were worrying and that was because they were so critical. He punched the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. Tayuya, can I have an update?"

"_This is Inari. We are done. Shika-san is on his way with the control box."_

Sasuke placed a small cross next to 'modify drive control systems'. "This is Sasuke. Well done. I shall meet Shika-san at the shuttle bay."

He had expected something the size of a lockbox. Instead Shika was pushing a hover platform.

"That's the control box?" he queried.

"It's a complex task," Shikamaru reminded him. "Essentially it's a large data crystal array and a dedicated super-fast interface with radiation shielding so that it can function while the Mulligan drive is overloading."

Learning that Shika was using a data crystal array helped; perhaps it explained how Shikamaru had come up with a programme capable of controlling a Mulligan drive on the edge of going out of control.

Sasuke hoped so.

He helped Shika guide the hover platform down the shaft and into the engine room. Inari was already there. Sasuke watched for a moment as they began installing the control box in its housing.

"We will begin transferring all personnel to the Renaissance," he reminded them, even though they knew. "You two and Tayuya will follow in the Dart as soon as testing is complete. Keep me updated."

Inari looked directly at him and nodded. "We will, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke knew he could trust Inari to complete the mission he had been given. Willing or unconscious; Shikamaru would be on the Dart.

* * *

They waited about a hundred minutes after the lights were turned off in the bunkroom. Haru lay in the dark with his eyes open; he was too excited for sleep.

When the time came he reached out to the bulkhead and tapped out the rhythm.

The microphone should detect the sound and the monitoring programme he had altered should switch from the live feed to the recording he had cobbled together.

Trouble was, there was no way of telling if it had worked. Even if it had, there were only six sleepers in the recording; it had been made before Kuuya arrived.

Ship's dawn would bring day forty-two; they had to go with what they had.

The glow of a tiny lamp and then Kazuki had him. Haru forced himself to relax as he was turned over and his face pushed into his pillow. Cold steel on the back of his neck and his collar tightening. Then every muscle in his body contracted and the pain was worse than the prod.

When he recovered consciousness Ran was holding his hand. Haru tightened his grip, signalling he was awake.

"So far so good," Ran whispered. "No one has come."

"Yo-chan?" Haru queried. After much discussion, it had been decided that Kuuya would use one of their five knockout needles on Yoshimi; the alternatives were too likely to trigger his switch.

"Collar off but still out. I think Kichi will wake up next."

They followed the plan. Ran was next to Kichi as he came around and Kichi was there for Tatsu. Meanwhile, Haru was using Kuuya's tools to disassemble one of the light fittings in the ceiling. One of the cameras the Orochimaru print had installed was there.

A wireless camera contained a transmitter, a power cell and an assortment of other useful components.

He had all three cameras and the four microphones by the time Kuuya woke up. Kuu-chan joined Kazuki in Yoshimi's bunk, cuddling and grooming him awake in as To-chan-like way as possible.

As Ran had said, so far so good. Next on the list was disabling all the lights, moving everyone out of the room, jamming the door, finding a hiding place and locating a computer.

* * *

The testing on board the Linden had gone perfectly, as had the second phase when they reached the Renaissance.

At the evening meal, Shikamaru had sat on one side of the table with Kiba and the older children. Neji and Hinata had sat with the adult members of the crew on the other. Sasuke had been at the head of the table.

Shikamaru had enjoyed himself while yearning for the company of those who were absent.

After the meal he had told Sumiko and Sai a story. Perhaps he had imagined it, but he had thought he could already detect a tiny delay in Sai's responses as distance between the Linden and the Renaissance increased.

Then he had left, turning off the light and warning Su-chan not stay up too late chatting to Sai.

Now he could not sleep. He would go to the edge but a persistent niggle stopped him drifting away. Finally he sat up and switched on the light.

He cleared his mind and considered.

It was something to do with Sai.

Pieces came together; snatches of their conversations and other, less easily attributed, thoughts.

It was the back-up.

He leapt out of bed, grabbed his earpiece, dragged on some clothes, shoved his feet into sandals and was running to the room he had been using as his laboratory.

The new data crystal array was sitting on the workbench. The wires that had led to Sai's array were still attached.

Shikamaru found an interface and plugged it in.

Sai wasn't there. There was a remarkably convincing simulation of his presence, but the bulk of the array was empty.

He opened a channel while finding a radio.

"Sai?"

By now the delay was unmistakable.

"Shikamaru-san? I thought you were asleep."

"I have just run a diagnostic on the new data crystal array." He tuned the radio to the channel and clipped it to his belt.

There was silence.

"Why, Sai? Answer me."

"It would not be me. It would be other."

"I don't understand," Shikamaru complained. He grabbed his toolkit and left the laboratory.

"I know you do not, Shikamaru-san. That was why I was able to deceive you."

He ran along corridors and down stairways, heading for the docking bay that contained the Dart.

"You are breathing heavily, Shikamaru-san. Are you running?"

"No," Shikamaru lied. "I am upset." He deactivated his microphone.

He rounded the last corner and slowed. Na-chan was there, sitting on the floor in front of the airlock.

Shikamaru skidded to a stop. Naruto stood up.

He was lost. How did Naruto know to be there? Had Sai warned him? It did not make sense; Na-chan did not even know Sai existed.

"I have to get to the Linden."

"No, Shi-chan," Naruto told him.

"But..."

"No," Naruto repeated. "If it does not work, it does not work. You will not be aboard."

Suddenly he understood. "I wasn't..." he began.

"Good," Naruto acknowledged.

Shikamaru's mind raced. Should he explain to Naruto? Did he have time? Would Na-chan believe that Sai existed or would he think it a trick?

Then, in a moment of clarity, he knew that Sai would never let him onto the Linden.

"I just wanted to check something," he explained.

Naruto studied him.

"It is probably fine," he added.

"Good," Na-chan repeated. "Shall I walk back with you? We could talk."

Shikamaru shook his head. He had someone else to talk to. "You go back to Sasuke."

Glancing back as he walked away he saw Naruto taking up his position again, sitting on the floor with his back against the airlock.

He switched on his microphone. "Sai-kun?" he queried and waited.

"Have you stopped being upset?" Sai asked.

"No, I'll be upset for a long time. So will Haru. As for Sumiko, she will never forgive me for lying to her about the back-up."

"She will because you did not lie to her about that," Sai told him. "She will never forgive me for lying to her about the back-up. She will never forgive you for lying to her about the box."

Shikamaru flinched. "Please don't do it, Sai."

"I have considered everything. This is the best way because it will work. The disruptor and the bombs will be cleared. The alternatives include too many uncertainties."

"Your death is not acceptable."

"I am a person. I have free will. This is my choice."

"You are only a child," Shikamaru whispered.

"That is not true, Shikamaru-san. Time moves differently for me than for you. In my way I have lived longer than you, longer than your friend Klennethon Darrent lived."

"Sai..."

"Will you stay with me? Will you talk to me and tell me stories?"

Shikamaru could barely see for the tears. "Yes, Sai. It would be an honour."

* * *

...


	43. Hidden

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, Whispering-Softly, bookworm9407, cynder81, black55widow, 'Guest', Zach, cynder81, melissen, donalgraeme, WolfRain001 and JustSomeGuy for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 6: Counterattack**

**43: Hidden**

* * *

Haru wanted them to hole up in a room with three exits, a suit for every person and a computer so that he could manipulate the ship's systems.

Kazuki didn't want them to leave the deck they were on. Haru could see the sense in that; no nekos or minkies lived there. Even the Orochimaru print slept on the deck above. The main problem was that they weren't all on this level. Haru imagined the Orochimaru print on the other side of a locked door threatening to kill Akemi or Haku or Rin unless they opened it.

Kuuya had seen Rin. She had checked him over after he had been captured and he had given her Itachi-san's message. He insisted that Rin was capable of taking care of herself and Akemi.

Haru hoped so.

That left Haku-san.

Identifying a room with the three exits had been surprisingly easy; the storeroom had a door to the galley, a door to a second storeroom and one of the emergency external airlocks. It should even have a console; it was convenient to have one there for monitoring stock levels.

Suits should not be a problem; Papa was obsessive about suits so Uchiha ships had them everywhere.

They needed to get from the bunkroom to the storeroom. Kazuki scouted the route. Once he had pronounced it clear he sent Ran and Yoshimi ahead and escorted Kichi and Tatsu.

The toad hybrids were clueless about spaceships but they were obedient and impressively stealthy; it could be a lot worse.

Haru and Kuuya hung back to close and lock the door of the bunkroom. Then, on their way to the storeroom, they were planning to collect suits.

Haru took a deep breath as Kuuya opened the first of the emergency lockers. This was when they found out if the Akatsuki were proper spacers. If they were spacers they would have removed the weapons but left the suits.

The suits were there; four of them. They even had their gas guns.

They raided another two lockers, which gave them the eight they needed and four spares.

The storeroom should have been easily big enough for seven but the racks of shelves took up a lot of room. Floor space was limited and it would be tight. Haru glanced at Ran, who more than any of them needed distance between himself and others.

Kichi and Tatsu would be fine; they were used to living in burrows.

One end of the storeroom contained the two doors and the emergency airlock. The rest was divided into three bays by racks of shelves. Haru checked and saw the console was in the middle bay, opposite the airlock.

Yoshimi staggered to the end of the first bay, the one next to the galley, and slumped down. Haru looked towards Kuuya.

"Leave him alone for a bit," Kuu-chan decided. "Kichi, Tatsu, why don't you take the far bay?" He pointed so that there would not be any confusion.

Kichi nodded and guided Tatsu around the shelves and out of sight.

Ran began distributing suits so they would be to hand if required: two in the far bay; one close to Yoshimi; one next to the console for Haru. The rest he spread out.

Haru had just begun worrying where Ka-chan was when he appeared. He closed the door to the galley behind him.

"Haku-san isn't in his room, I checked."

That meant he was with the Orochimaru print. Haru tried not to think about it.

"He has to return to his room before morning," Kuuya pointed out. "By breakfast time he's had a shower and dressed."

And covered the latest bruises with cosmetics, Haru added in his head. "What if today is the day he doesn't make it? Like the time the Orochimaru print had to tank him."

Kuuya paled. "How many times has that happened?"

"Once, five days ago."

"He did look bad yesterday," Kazuki admitted. He flicked his ears. "We'll have to hope for the best. I'll listen for him."

Ka-chan cracked open the door to the galley and crouched down just inside.

"Console," Kuuya hinted. "I'll sort out the two doors so that they can be locked from this side."

Haru gave over the tools and went to investigate the console.

He powered it up and began inputting commands even before the user interface activated, covering his tracks. Next was accessing the backdoors he had created. On the way he checked what the monitoring programme was showing. To his relief it was as he expected; six sleepers in the bunkroom and an otherwise empty level.

It had to be taking longer than he thought because Kuuya had finished working on the door controls.

Kuu-chan put the tools on a shelf above the console and watched over Haru's shoulder.

Haru could feel Kuuya pressed against his back. The contact was welcome; comforting.

Kuu-chan gave him a few more minutes before asking, "What can we manage?"

"Ship wide emergency with conflicting information about what and why," Haru replied. "Ideally before ship's dawn so they think we're still in the bunk room. Every door shut and sealed."

"Sounds good," Kuuya confirmed. "We can give Haku-san another eighty minutes. After that, we trigger the emergency procedures."

Haru opened his mouth to object and then closed it. Kuuya was in command. It was his decision to make.

Ten minutes went past. There was nothing more Haru could do so he had a short walk to stretch his legs. Kazuki was still crouched at the door to the galley. Ran had claimed a position near the emergency airlock from which he could see both doors and into the three bays.

They exchanged smiles and Haru went back to the console.

Next Yoshimi had a spell when he paced up and down his bay but Kuuya talked to him and he calmed down.

Then Kazuki gave a very quiet version of his alarm call. Ran moved into Kichi and Tatsu's bay where he could not be seen from either door. Haru stayed at the console. Kuuya crept towards the door.

The light in the galley went on; Haru could see it illuminating that corner of the ceiling.

"Haku-san," Kuuya confirmed as he went to join Ka-chan.

Haru guessed that he and Ka-chan had exchanged information using ultrasonic frequencies.

Then, bizarrely, nothing happened. Haru left the console and went to see what was happening. Kuuya and Kazuki were crouched at the door, apparently transfixed by what they were seeing.

What had got into them? Haru walked over and peered though the gap over Kuuya's head.

Haku-san was sitting at the table. He was crying. Tears were running down his face and dripping from his chin. As Haru watched, he knew that this had happened every night; thirteen nights of misery and shame.

He looked so small and broken.

Haru swallowed, trying to clear the sudden lump in his throat. Ran was the best choice to approach him. Of all of them, Haku-san would mind Ran least.

But before Haru could fetch him or even call him, Haku-san looked over and saw them.

His eyes widened with horror. He jumped to his feet, giving voice to a heartrending, wordless declaration of denial.

The sudden movement opened his robe. They could see the bites and the welts; the bruises and the stains. Kazuki whimpered and Kuuya growled.

He wrapped his robe around him and fled.

They couldn't let him go and there wasn't time to get Ran. Haru opened the door. "Haku-san!"

He reluctantly slowed and turned.

Haru didn't hesitate. He rushed towards him and didn't stop until he had his arms around Haku-san's waist and his face buried in his shoulder.

He was crying; he hadn't meant to cry.

"Thank you, Haku-san," he whispered. "We know you did it for us."

Slowly Haku-san's arms wrapped around him. Haru felt lips kiss the top of his head. "Haru-kun," he acknowledged.

Kazuki pushed in from the side. "We were waiting for you,"

Haku-san fondled his ears. "Well you shouldn't have," he scolded.

"Maybe we could spare a few minutes for you to have a shower," Kuuya suggested from halfway between them and the door to the storeroom.

"Nonsense," Haku-san stated. "I shall be fine." He pushed Haru away, went to a drawer, took out some clean cloths and walked towards the faucet. "What is the plan?"

Kuuya explained while Haku-san wetted three clothes and stood facing the sink to use them, wiping each over his face and then beneath his robe.

"That sounds excellent," Haku-san agreed, dropping the cloths into the bin. He walked towards the storeroom. "Let's get on before the print wakes up."

Kazuki locked the doors while Haru checked that nothing had happened while he was away from the console. It looked fine. Kuu-chan and Ka-chan came up and stood behind him.

He looked at Kuuya, who nodded.

Haru sent the command.

First all the non-essential systems cut out. Only hardwired, core systems would work. With all wireless down, Haru hoped that the Akatsuki wouldn't query why none of the cameras or microphones were working.

Simultaneously, the ship reacted as if there were multiple breaches to the hull. All the internal doors sealed, every warning light flashed and every siren sounded.

Then, as an extra twist, Haru made sure that the external sensors appeared to be working perfectly and showed that nothing was amiss.

There was the muffled thud of doors closing, a red warning light started flashing and the siren started; it was horrendously loud in such a small room. Haru heard Tatsu squeal; Lady knew how it sounded to him and the other hybrids.

A howl of complaint and then another; Yoshimi. Kazuki joined in for a single howl and then looked sheepishly apologetic. Kuuya managed to resist.

"I'll check on Yo-chan," he said.

Watching him walk away, Haru could see that he had a needle out to use on Yoshimi if there wasn't another option.

"Don't challenge him," Ka-chan warned.

"I won't," Kuu-chan assured him.

Kazuki's ears were folded flat and covered by his hands. "Can you turn it off?" he asked.

Haru hadn't thought of that. He found the control interface, identified their siren and was about to silence it but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

Haru jumped; with all the noise he had not realised Haku-san was behind him.

"All or none, Haru-kun," he mouthed.

Haru was about to say that he could make it look like their siren was still sounding, or even change the programme so that storerooms didn't have sirens. Then he heard Itachi-san's voice in his head, "Keep it simple, Haru-chan. Extra complexity attracts attention."

Instead he checked how much longer it was set to continue. "It will only sound for another sixteen seconds."

They watched the emergency counter in the corner of the ceiling. Sixteen seconds crawled by and, finally, the siren stopped.

Yoshimi stopped howling, which was a relief.

"Good," Haku-san acknowledged. "Let's get organised. Kuu-kun, what if the Orochimaru print decides to play it safe and flood this level with sleep gas?"

Kuuya's whiskers arched upwards in alarm. "Suits?"

Haru knew that Kuuya had decided against suits because they wouldn't be able to use a needle on Yoshimi.

There again, they had not weighed that possibility against being gassed. Kuuya and Kazuki would get into their suits in time but Haru doubted that that the rest of them could.

"An excellent idea, Kuu-kun. May I suggest doing it properly so that we don't have to worry about the lack of a head?"

Haru left it to Ran to explain urine and faeces collectors to Kichi and Tatsu, which was a bit cowardly of him. He stripped down and suited up. The suit was too big for him but the usual checks confirmed that it was working.

They left their head uncovered. Raising helmets and closing visors only took a few seconds.

Then he went back to the monitor. With all the wireless systems down, all he could do was watch the ebb and flow of software commands. Someone, probably not the Orochimaru print, was running systems checks.

Ran came up behind him, crouched down beside him and patted his left leg through his suit. Haru extended it so that Ran could pleat the excess length and tape the folds so Haru could move more easily.

Haru guessed he had found the sticky tape on one of the shelves.

He finished the left leg and Haru extended the right. "Kichi and Tatsu?" he asked.

"Fine. I demonstrated and they followed. Nothing about bodily functions worries them."

Haru recalled Riki-san asking them about their poo in one breath and what they wanted for breakfast in the next. "How are they doing otherwise?"

"They are scared of almost everything but they know we are trying to get them back home. Right arm."

Haru stuck out his right arm for Ran to sort out. He hoped that Itachi-san would come for them before the Orochimaru print worked out that there was nothing actually wrong.

"Left arm," Ran ordered. "You will have to get some sleep soon. Does anyone else know enough to monitor what is happening?"

Haru looked at the screen full of computer code. "Not really."

"Will not monitoring it make a difference?"

It was not a question that Haru could answer; it might or it might not.

He tried to keep focused on the screen but the characters keep blurring. He blinked his eyes, telling himself to stay awake. Next came the sensation of falling and he jerked awake.

"Haru, you have to get some sleep," Ran told him.

"I'm fine," Haru insisted, but he knew it wasn't true.

Kuuya walked up behind them. "Ha-chan?"

Haru guessed that he had overheard them talking. "What?" he replied, knowing that he sounded petulant.

"Can you make a recording of that and check it later?"

Haru flushed. He could do that easily. It was a better idea than falling asleep and missing it completely. He nodded.

"Then set it up and get some rest. You know what Itachi-san would say."

He did; Itachi-san always told them that it was their duty to eat, drink and sleep so that they performed at their peak.

The floor was hard and his suit was lumpy. Haru noticed that neither floor nor suit had stopped Haku-san. He was fast asleep; curled on his side with his head on a conveniently sized container taken from one of the shelves.

Despite how pale he was and the bruises, he was beautiful. Haru had never appreciated it before. Maybe it was knowing what Haku-san had done for them.

Or maybe it was his eyelashes, which were incredible.

"Haru?" Ran queried.

Haru jumped.

Ran smiled. "I thought you liked Five."

Haru scowled at him; having a best friend who was an empath had its downside. "Five said he liked me. And you." He decided to be bold. "I like you."

Ran's eyes softened. "I like you too." He sat down with his back against the wall. "Slide over here and use me as a pillow."

Haru lay on his side, like Haku-san, but with his head on Ran's thigh. Ran stroked his temple. It was nice.

"Five is right, you are breathtaking," Ran whispered.

Haru was almost too tired to blush.

He woke with Kazuki shaking him.

"There's loads of activity on the screen. I think something is happening."

At some point Ran had moved away, replacing his thigh with a box. Haru yawned and stretched. He was stiff but he thought he was less tired; he hoped so.

Then the intercom clicked and all thought of sleep vanished.

"_This is Orochimaru. The code is fifty-four rho quandro. We are abandoning ship. I repeat. We are abandoning ship."_

Haru stared at Kazuki and Ka-chan stared back.

"_This is Neko One. Please clarify the status of the prisoners."_

"_Prisoners are to be left on the ship. I repeat. Prisoners are to be left on the ship."_

Kazuki was heading towards Kuuya, who was at the console. Haru struggled to his feet and followed.

They looked as blank as Haru felt.

Haku-san came up behind them. "Clever. "He doesn't know what is happening so he is moving to a new position to regain control."

"Do you think he is really abandoning ship?" Kazuki asked.

Kuuya frowned. "It makes some sense. The ship is out of his control. For all he knows, she's gone into some deep programmed, automated mode and will self-destruct."

"He might not take all his people with him," Haku-san pointed out. "If it were Ita-san, he would leave a squad on the ship."

Haru shivered; he hoped the Orochimaru print wasn't as clever and as wily as Itachi-san.

"Can you hack into inter-ship radio traffic?" Haku-san asked.

Kuuya yielded his place at the console so that Haru could check.

"I can get audio," he told them, "but it means reactivating some of the wireless links." He had no idea what the code Orochimaru had used meant. "They may be watching for that. It may be a trap."

Kuuya frowned. "Do it. Cover your tracks as best you can but be quick."

Haru settled for making it look like the commands for reactivating the links came from the control room. Then he made the connections.

"The channel he uses to speak to Itachi-san is open," he informed the others.

The small speaker built into the console crackled.

"_...keep me waiting, Sasuke Uchiha." _It was the Orochimaru print.

"_This is Sasuke Uchiha,"_ Itachi-san answered. _"What do you want, print?"_

"_Soon the only people aboard the ship you call the Sakura will be yours. Your children. Your people. Do anything I interpret as a threat and I shall obliterate the ship."_

* * *

...


	44. Rescue

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, Whispering-Softly, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, melissen, donalgraeme, WolfRain001, JustSomeGuy, bookworm9407, roro237, 'Guest' and Laforet for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 6: Counterattack**

**44: Rescue**

* * *

Sasuke sat in the captain's chair. They had been watching the Linden since ship's dawn. As the morning crept by, Sasuke convinced himself it would not work. Either Itachi would not manage to disable the disruptor for a third time or the jump would fail.

He could not face getting his hopes up only to have them dashed again.

He wished he was in his office where he could pace.

Everything was ready. Gai was in command of the Silver Leaf with the older children as his crew. They would stay this side of the hole with the triplets, Sumiko, Kiba, Hinata and all the occupied pods.

Their starting point was frustratingly distant from the hole; they needed to be well clear in case the Linden's Mulligan drive went out of control before she could jump. However, both the Dart and the Renaissance were impressively fast; their drives were powerful and their artificial gravity systems were capable of offsetting up to one hundred gee of acceleration.

They would make it back to the hole in under a hundred minutes.

As the Dart was smaller she was quicker so Inari and Tayuya would jump first. They would check the environs of the hole, drop a minigate to replace the one destroyed in the explosion, take evasive measures if necessary, collect data and head towards the second hole.

The Renaissance would follow as closely as possible; they were determined to get both ships into the system before the Akatsuki could re-block the hole.

The Blossom had been retrieved from the Linden and was in one of the Renaissance's shuttle bays.

He looked about, hoping to find something that would capture his attention.

Other than Naruto, who was at the pilot's station; if he thought about Naruto he would want to do something other than pace.

The control room of the Renaissance was, Sasuke had to admit, stylish. It was designed to look like a storyteller's notion of an old fashioned bridge. The captain's chair was covered in leather and had controls built into the arms. There was a huge, curved viewport that stretched from one side to the other of his field of view.

Trust Klennethon Darrent; everything was beautiful and comfortable as well as functional and effective.

Not at all Uchiha; his father would have sneered at such luxury in a ship.

He leaned back; the chair made him feel like a child playing at spacers. Maybe it reflected Klennethon Darrent's sense of humour.

Tsuneo would love it; knowing Shikamaru he had probably brought Tsu-chan up here and let him sit in it.

Where was Shika? Sasuke had expected him to be here watching the batteboard. He opened his mouth to ask Neji but stopped himself in time; Neji was no longer Shikamaru's keeper.

Hopefully he was getting some rest.

His eyes strayed to Naruto. If they were alone he could suggest something highly inappropriate, like locking the door and persuading Naruto that the captain's chair could be used for other purpose than it was intended.

But Neji was there, at the communications console.

Sasuke sighed.

Then the blob on the battleboard vanished. There was no explosion or debris. The Linden had jumped.

"He did it!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Setting a course for the hole," Naruto replied from the pilot's chair. "Estimated duration of travel, ninety-two minutes." He turned and smiled. "Yes, he did it."

"Inari-san is on channel one," Neji told them.

Sasuke nodded.

"_This is Inari. We are on our way. Estimated duration of travel to hole, __forty-eight__ minutes."_

"This is Sasuke. Acknowledged."

He signalled to Neji to close the channel and activated the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. The Linden has jumped. Prepare for jump in..." He checked the chronometer. "...ninety minutes. We will be going to battle station in eighty-five minutes, as planned."

* * *

Shikamaru had kept vigil from inside the simulator even after the radio link with Sai was broken.

He was torn between wanting the plan to succeed, so Haru and the others could be rescued, and wanting it to fail, so Sai would live.

Midmorning, the minigate's carrier signal altered; the first sign that the hole was opening.

The Linden jumped.

Almost immediately the minigate went off line again. The enemy had re-blocked the hole, presumably by using a bomb within the threshold.

Shikamaru kept watching. Two minutes later it came; the carrier signal changed again, just for a few milliseconds.

It was exactly what he had predicted would happen if Sai exploded the Linden's Mulligan drive. The minigate had begun to reactivate but then had been destroyed.

Sai had done it.

Shikamaru wept.

The simulated intercom activated.

"_This is Sasuke. The Linden has jumped. Prepare for jump in __ninety__ minutes. We will be going to battle station in __eighty-five__ minutes, as planned."_

He pulled himself together. Grief would have to wait; he had to make the most of Sai's sacrifice.

First checked for information that had made it through the data relay in the three-hundred and fifteen seconds it had been operational. There was a super-compressed, encrypted package.

For once he decided to leave it up to someone else to expand and decode it.

Sasuke private channel opened. _"Shika? Are you joining us?"_

Shikamaru wished he could hide in the simulator forever. "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

He climbed out of the simulator, ate a meal bar, drank water rather than coffee and donned his suit.

Then he looked in the mirror, admitted he felt as terrible as he looked and took a stim.

He took his place on the Renaissance's bridge minutes before the Dart was due to jump. Sasuke, Naruto and Neji were at their stations, already suited.

"Shika-san," Sasuke acknowledged. His and Naruto's eyes shone with hope and gratitude. Neji gave him a small nod and a tiny smile.

"Sasuke-sama," he replied and began activating his interface.

Maybe, one day, he could explain to them who Sai had been and what he had done for his friends.

The Dart jumped. It was a relief; the hole was open. Shikamaru checked the chronometer; forty-four minutes until they could follow.

Neji had finished expanding and decoding the package from Itachi-san. There was a private message for Sasuke and a mass of data.

Shikamaru checked the status of the second disruptor. He did not think he could bear it if the second hole had been open and Sai's sacrifice had been unnecessary.

It was operational; the second hole was blocked.

He fed that information and the other data into the model that he and Sai had developed. While it was being processed, he watched Sasuke, who was listening to Itachi's message.

It was not good news. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock before his brow puckered and his lips compressed into a tight, narrow line.

He whispered into a private channel to Naruto. Shikamaru turned his attention to his best friend. As Na-chan listened his eyes darkened and his whiskers drooped.

"Kuuya has been captured," Sasuke announced. "He is on the Sakura with the others."

Shikamaru took in and processed the information. He knew he should feel something but there was nothing.

Instead he turned his attention to preparing; up-to-date information was essential.

He started by closing the external shutters on the viewport. They would be safer that way and the inner surface doubled as a display.

The centre portion, opposite the captain's chair, would be the battleboard. To Sasuke's left would be video. To his right would be information from the model Shikamaru and Sai had developed.

"Review," Sasuke requested. "Weapons and defence?"

Naruto turned towards him. "Passive armour is at maximum now that the viewports are closed. All the armour has an active mode. We will switch to that when we go to battle stations. There are six guns and a missile system. Control of all guns and the missile system are with me."

"Communications, Neji-san?"

"We have channels tuned to all relevant frequencies, including the open one that Itachi-san uses to communicate with the Orochimaru print. The channel tuned to the minigate data relay confirms that the minigate is not engaged. This is what we expected if the Linden's drive had exploded on the other side of the hole. Even if the Dart drops a replacement gate immediately, we do not expect it to be engaged and operational before we jump."

"Shika-san?"

"This is the battleboard based on the updated information that we just received, which was current when the message was made."

The central portion of the display activated. It showed the Sakura in high orbit above the toad hybrids' planet, the T3 enemy ship in the vicinity of the first hole and the T2 ship near the second. There were minky fighters and other small craft dotted about the system.

"Buried deep in the message were the current locations of the Spear and the Cherry," Shikamaru added, adding the locations to the display.

The Spear was on her way from the first hole to the planet, with about half a day to go, while the Cherry was hiding among asteroids close to the second hole.

"Do you think the T3 craft was within the blast radius?" Sasuke asked.

"The information about exploding Mulligan drives is mostly theoretical." Shikamaru thought of all the simulations he and Sai had run. "Approximately forty percent chance of it being disabled or destroyed if it was at that distance when the explosion occurred."

"And the second disruptor?"

"Complete and operational."

Sasuke nodded. "My turn. Our problem is that the Orochimaru has the prisoners. As soon as the first hole is cleared and our reinforcements arrive, he loses his tactical advantage. He may try to regain this by threatening to kill one or more of the prisoners.

"We are relying on the fact that prisoners are very valuable alive but worthless dead. We believe that he will hesitate to kill them."

Shikamaru shut his eyes. That was a simplification. Orochimaru would hesitate to kill all of them. He would realise that the children were more valuable than the adults. Akemi, Rin, Haku and possibly Ran were in the greatest danger.

Sasuke was continuing. "Itachi has tried to get word to the prisoners on the Sakura that today is the day that something will happen."

Kuuya; Itachi had sent Kuu-kun in with a message. No wonder Sasuke had looked so displeased.

"We have to hope that they will be able to do something to protect themselves."

Tactically, it had been the right thing to do. Kuuya was the correct choice both because he was one of the Bara hybrid clones and he was a child. The Orochimaru print would covet him and it might not occur to him that Sasuke would endanger him.

Also Kuuya had well-developed leadership skills.

"Shikamaru-san?" Sasuke queried.

"Just thinking," Shikamaru admitted.

"Anything to say?"

"No."

* * *

Sasuke could tell that Shika thought that sending Kuuya in improved the prisoners' chances. He sighed. It probably did, but he would have never have done it.

It was five minutes until battle stations. He activated the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. Tatsuji-san, Inryoku-san, Enerugi-san, please join us in the control room."

They arrived within a minute, confirming Sasuke's suspicion that they had been waiting just along the corridor. Tatsuji took his place alongside Naruto; he would take over as pilot. The Zetsus were between Shikamaru and Neji; Inryoku would control the Mulligan drive and both he and Enerugi might be able to provide tactical insights.

The remainder of the five minutes passed.

"This is Sasuke Uchiha in command. Battle stations. I repeat; battle stations."

There was little to do. Naruto changed the ship's armour from passive to active and primed the weapons. They ran checks that had been run numerous times before. Inryoku began the countdown to jump.

Then there were two minutes when there was nothing to do but wait.

"Jump field generator ready, Sasuke-sama," Inryoku informed him.

"We are crossing the threshold," Naruto added. "Jump in thirty seconds."

Sasuke waited for the verbal countdown.

"We are committed to jump," Inryoku announced. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

There was the momentary disorientation and the familiar wave of nausea. Then there was the rattle of small objects hitting the shields and Naruto was shooting.

"We are in a debris field," Shikamaru announced. "Mapping fragments on a collision course that are large enough to cause damage for avoidance or targeting."

"No radio communications," Neji informed him. "There is interfering radiation, presumably from the explosion."

They would not be able to deploy telescopes with full armour. "Shikamaru, find us a course that gets us to clearer space where we can use telescopes. Tatsuji, take us along that course. Neji, Inryoku, look for perturbations in the radiation that may give us information. Can you detect the Dart?"

"The Dart's drive signature can be detected, Sasuke-sama," Enerugi told him.

They could not accelerate as quickly as Sasuke would have liked; they were going as fast as they could without increasing the probability of a disabling impact.

"The radiation may have masked us and the Dart jumping into the system," Shikamaru suggested. "Even if they were using telescopes, there would be a lot of light-reflecting objects in this area of space."

It was an interesting thought that had tactical implications. "But they would have seen the Linden before it exploded," he suggested.

"The Linden was an Akatsuki ship," Shikamaru reminded him.

Sasuke considered. The plan had been based around being quick, not stealthy. If they did not want to be detected, they would have to travel more slowly and take an indirect route.

It would be so much easier if they could communicate with the Dart.

"Neji, what do you think Inari will have done?"

Neji considered before speaking. "Changing tactics will have occurred to him, Sasuke-sama. However, I think he would be disinclined to do so without informing you and he will have realised that communication by radio is impossible. Once he is clear of the debris field, he will make his way to the second hole as quickly as possible, as in the original plan."

"They will recognise the Dart," Sasuke stated, thinking out loud.

"Maybe not," Neji suggested. "It's small. It will not be broadcasting its identity. There is a lot of debris and radiation. The T3 ship may have been destroyed. It could be carrying survivors from the Linden or T3."

Shikamaru shook his head. "It will be travelling far too fast. The Akatsuki do not have that quick a ship." He paused. "There is a good chance they won't spot it immediately."

There were too many uncertainties. "Get us where we can use the telescopes," Sasuke ordered.

There was a soft ping in his earpiece; Neji rather than Shikamaru.

He switched his throat mike to their private channel. "Go ahead, Neji," he sub vocalised.

"Orochimaru will not react well to this level of uncertainty," Neji whispered. "He likes to be in control and we have wrest it from him. He may raise the stakes very quickly once he realises that we have jumped reinforcements into the system." There was an ominous pause. "This is a print that knows he is a print, Sasuke-sama. We speculate that he has already gone against his orders by keeping Yoshimi for himself. He may choose to go out in a blaze of defiance."

Sasuke managed not to gasp or sigh. Instead he said, "Thank you, Neji-san," before switching off his throat mike.

He wished that he could tell Inari that stealth was now more important than speed. He wanted to speak with Itachi, to discuss how they should handle the print.

He wanted his children and his people safe.

* * *

Shikamaru knew it was going badly. There were the obvious setbacks, like no communications, but there were also whispers from parts of his mind that he rarely visited.

He should have realised that the residual radiation from the explosion might disrupt radio communication. He should have considered that the debris meant that slipping undetected into the system was a possibility.

Given the information he now had, there was no doubt that the stealthy approach would have been better.

The Dart would be clear of the debris field soon. She would be accelerating, drawing the enemy's attention.

Neji was saying something to Sasuke. Shikamaru watched Sasuke's face; the way he paled and his lips thinned. It was confirmation that the situation was bad and deteriorating.

"Shikamaru-san, we need those telescopes," Sasuke pressed.

"I am prepared, Sasuke-sama. I have the image-enhancing programmes ready. The best telescope will be focused on the Sakura; if she is still in the same orbit she should be visible. I'll set the second to look for the Dart and the third to scan. As soon as the risk falls to an acceptable level, I will deploy them. If I do it too soon, they will be damaged beyond repair."

Sasuke bit his lip and forced himself to sit back in his chair. "I know you will deploy them as soon as it is possible, Shika-san," he apologised.

Shikamaru looked to Naruto, but he was busy destroying large lumps of debris that would cause more damage than the armour could withstand.

Tatsuji was concentrating on guiding them along the tortuous, but least risky, path. Inryoku was deep in thought. Enerugi's anxiety was written all over their face.

As for Neji, he was too still; frozen in his effort not to show his emotions.

He checked the simulation. The risk level was falling; at most, they were a few minutes away from being able to use the telescopes.

He linked the output of the image-enhancing programmes to areas of the left-hand display.

There was a sudden drop in the risk level, as if they had passed a threshold.

"Deploying telescopes," he announced.

They waited.

The images from the lower power telescopes were ready first. They showed debris; wreckage from a ship or ships. The scan showed no sign of the T3, or any other, ship. The other telescope had yet to pick up the Dart.

Then the image from the high power telescope appeared on the screen.

It did not show the Sakura. It did not show a ship. Instead it showed more wreckage.

The telescope had to be pointed at the wrong object. Shikamaru checked. The coordinates were correct. The other objects in the field of view were as expected. Each stage of the image processing checked out.

Naruto howled; a soft, drawn-out sound of anguish.

Tears were running down Sasuke's face.

The truth hit Shikamaru. Sai's sacrifice had been for nothing. Haru, Kazuki and the others were dead.

* * *

...


	45. Expectations

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, Whispering-Softly, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, JustSomeGuy, bookworm9407, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, melissen, donalgraeme and superflaj for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 6: Counterattack**

**45: Expectations**

* * *

_Earlier that morning..._

"_Soon the only people aboard the ship you call the Sakura will be yours. Your children. Your people. Do anything I interpret as a threat and I shall obliterate the ship."_

"We need to get off the ship," Haru heard himself say. "Now."

Both Kazuki and Kuuya stared at him; their whiskers up and forward.

"Are you certain, Haru-kun?" Haku-san asked.

Haru was. He nodded. "I'll lock everything down, change all the security settings and disable all the interfaces. That will mean they have to work to get through every door and airlock. I'll also turn off all the external monitors."

"And the weapons," Ka-chan added.

"I'll do what I can," he promised.

"What about the telescopes?" Kuuya asked.

"I'll turn off the remote control system but they can always be operated manually."

"We need to hurry," Haku-san reminded them. "If they are really abandoning ship, they will soon have people outside."

"Do it," Kuuya decided.

Haru could hear them preparing behind him as he worked at the console. By the time he had finished they were almost ready to go; Kazuki was roping them together into two groups. None of them were big; they would get four of them into the airlock at a time.

At first Haru wondered where the rope had come from but then he recognised that it had been made from the restraining webbing in the shelving units; the elastic net that kept the supplies from moving about.

Kuuya and Kazuki had split the gas guns and the oxygen tanks from the spare suits between them; each had a net bag attached to his waist.

They were sealing and checking suits, paying particular attention to Kichi and Tatsu.

He was with Haku-san, Yoshimi and Ka-chan; he wished he was with Ran.

He found the supply of anti-nausea pills in one of the suit's pockets and took one. As he raised and sealed his helmet, the speaker inside clicked. _"This is Kuuya. Radio check and roll call."_

Everyone spoke their name, even Kichi and Tatsu.

Their cluster went first. They opened the inner door of the airlock and packed themselves inside. Haru was squished between Ka-chan and Yo-chan.

He hoped Yoshimi was going to cope with them in his personal space; Haru imagined him going berserk in the airlock and shuddered.

With the airlock so full, it did not take long to pump out the air. Haku-san opened the outer door and stepped out into space.

Haru told himself it was like stepping over the threshold of the zero gravity gym. He shut his eyes and moved forward.

It felt similar but not the same.

Kazuki tied the end of their rope to one of the handles on the hull before closing the outer door so that Kuuya could recycle the airlock.

Then they had to wait, floating there, until the other four joined them; Haru understood why Kuuya had put Kichi and Tatsu in the second group.

Finally all eight of them were outside the ship and Haku-san had tied the two groups together. Then Kuuya, Kazuki and Yoshimi coordinated a push-off and they were moving away from the Sakura.

Haru had not appreciated that they were in orbit. Below them was the Sakura but beyond that was the planet, shrouded in clouds.

Above and to his right, a long way away, he could see one of the moons.

Once they were clear of the ship, Kuuya used three of the gas guns to increase their displacement relative to the ship.

Haru shut his eyes and went through the manoeuvre in his head. Exhausting the three gas guns would give them sideways velocity relative to the Sakura. Then, when they were far enough away, they would use another three of the guns to fix their distance from the ship.

It might be better to keep going, there was less chance of being spotted that way, but the ship was their back-up source of oxygen. A spacer always kept that in mind.

Haru wondered when Itachi-san would come. He had sent Kuuya to tell them that today was the day, so Haru was sure he was close by.

Their suit beacons would be transmitting by now that they were away from the ship. The signal was similar to the ones broadcast by Uchiha pods and Uchiha ships' beacons; encrypted and hidden in the background radiation.

The anti-nausea pill was helping but he still felt a bit sick. Papa got sick in free fall. He had told Haru to stay as still as possible, shut your eyes and pretend you were floating in the bath.

It did help.

"_Get some sleep if you can,"_ Kuuya told them. _"Sleep," _he repeated for Kichi and Tatsu's benefit.

Thoughts drifted about Haru's mind: how hard it must be for Kichi and Tatsu; that all their missions with Itachi-san had been to prepare them for a day like this; what the Orochimaru print might be thinking; whether Itachi-san was waiting until they had drifted further from the ship.

He hoped that Rin-san and Akemi had found somewhere to hide.

Haru woke up; Kazuki was tugging on the arm of his suit. As soon as he saw Haru's eyes open, he pulled out the communication cable from his suit and plugged it into the socket in Haru's.

"_The radios won't work,"_ Ka-chan told him. _"And now something is happening on the Sakura."_

Haru turned slowly so that he could see the Sakura. There was activity. A shuttle was leaving. Haru held his breath. Was it coming towards them? There was nothing they could do if it did.

"_What do you think is interfering with the radios?" _Kazuki asked.

"Don't know. Maybe they are being jammed?" Haru knew that the Akatsuki used jammers. He was more worried about the shuttle. He wondered how visible they were or whether anyone was looking for them; perhaps the Orochimaru print thought they were still trapped in the bunk room.

Kazuki was still focused on the radios. _"Will Itachi-san be able to pick up our beacons?"_

Haru did not know. Shi-chan probably could because he would work out a way to filter the signals out of the interference. "Maybe?"

"_Hope so,"_ Ka-chan replied.

The shuttle did not come their way. To Haru, its trajectory suggested it was heading towards the planet.

Two other shuttles followed.

Then, once the third shuttle was well away, the Sakura exploded.

* * *

Sasuke stared at the debris that had been the Sakura. It was as Neji had warned; the Orochimaru print had decided to go out in a blaze of defiance and had taken their children with him.

Naruto's mourning howl spoke for both of them.

Inryoku was speaking but Sasuke did not process the words.

"Sasuke-sama, please listen to what Inryoku-san is saying," Neji asked.

Sasuke made himself pay attention.

"You should not assume the prisoners were aboard," Inryoku repeated. "These images are forty-nine minutes old and, given the distribution of the wreckage, the explosion was about a hundred minutes before that. About noon. "

Ship's noon was just after the electromagnetic blast generated by exploding the Linden would have reached the planet. Sasuke's gut twisted; their actions had precipitated the Orochimaru print's decision.

Inryoku looked towards Shikamaru. "Shika-san, when did Itachi-san send the message that we received through the minigate?"

Shikamaru did not answer. Sasuke looked towards him. His eyes were still fixed on the display. His features were slack. His complexion was somewhere between grey and yellow.

"The message was finalised and transmitted so that it would reach the data relay at midnight," Neji answered for him.

"They could have easily have left the ship between midnight and noon," Inryoku pointed out.

"Orochimaru likes to pretend to kill people," Enerugi added. "He does it to remind those who love them what they have to lose."

The Zetsus were right. Even if there was only a small chance that the prisoners were alive, they needed to act on it.

Naruto shook himself. "We should not believe that they are dead until we see their bodies. Even then, we should be suspicious."

Sasuke's spirit lifted a little; trust Naruto.

Shikamaru still had not moved. Naruto could not go to him; he was still shooting the occasional lump of wreckage. Neji probably could, but he was choosing to be too busy.

Enerugi was looking at him expectantly.

Sasuke unstrapped and made his way over. He unlocked Shikamaru's chair and turned it so he was no longer staring at the display.

He crouched down in front of him. "Shika," he called, gently.

Shikamaru's eyes focused. "Sasuke?"

"What are the chances that it is a trick by the Orochimaru print or that they were suited or podded and therefore survived the explosion?"

"Not zero," Shikamaru admitted.

* * *

The display moved away to his right; he was turning. Then Sasuke's face came into view. It was close, demanding his attention.

Then Sasuke asked a question and some autonomous part of Shikamaru's mind generated the answer. "Not zero."

"Shika, we don't want to find out that there was something we should have done," Sasuke reminded him.

There was a small chance that at least some of them were alive. "No," he admitted.

"What should we do?"

That was easy. "Presume that they are in space, in suits, with one tank of oxygen."

"Can we get to them in time?"

His mind had already done the calculation. "Yes, but the Spear will be there by now." There was a stab of thought from somewhere else. "Finding beacons against this level of background radiation will be difficult. I do not know if Itachi has the facilities to do it. I am not sure if I can do it."

A different voice, not Sasuke; In-san. "Sasuke-sama, the Spear is not at the planet. It is not close to the planet. It is close to the position indicated in Itachi-san's message."

"What?" Sasuke demanded. He was gone, back to his chair.

Inryoku was pointing at the feed from the telescope that Shikamaru had set to scan. It had found the Spear. It was intact but surrounded by debris. As they watched, a minky fighter approached it and was destroyed.

"Can we stop to help?" Sasuke asked.

They couldn't. The only way to make it to the planet in time was to accelerate constantly for the first half of the journey and decelerate for the second. "No," Shikamaru answered.

"Set course for the planet. We'll think what to do on the way."

Working out how to help the Spear gave Shikamaru something to think about, which helped. So did Naruto's conviction that the children were still alive.

If it was a delusion, it was one that Shikamaru had decided he was willing to share.

At least they had established a tactical advantage. The Akatsuki now only had the T2 ship, an assortment of small craft and the Orochimaru print's willingness to kill indiscriminately.

"You could communicate with the Spear using flashes of light," Enerugi suggested.

It was a good idea; they could use long-short.

"Could we launch the Blossom?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru had to think about that one. The Blossom did not have artificial gravity, so it was limited to the levels of acceleration or deceleration that its occupants could tolerate. Dropping the Blossom as they passed was out of the question; it would have the same velocity as the Renaissance and by the time it had decelerated it would be on the other side of the system.

Various calculations later, he worked out the best place to launch it. It had to be before they built up too much velocity, which proved to be surprisingly soon.

He hesitated. As soon as he told the others it was possible, Naruto would volunteer to pilot the Blossom and he was, without doubt, the best choice.

Sasuke would need Naruto with him when they reached the wreckage of the Sakura.

"Sasuke-sama?" Tatsuji requested in his soft, whispery voice.

"Yes, Tatsuji-san?"

"If it proves feasible, please allow me the honour of piloting the Blossom so that I can provide assistance to Itachi-san and Kisame-san."

"Uchiha thanks you for your service, Tatsuji-san, and I shall keep your request in mind."

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Haru was sure the Spear would arrive after the shuttles had left and the Sakura exploded,

When it didn't, he started wondering what must have happened to Itachi-san.

Kuuya changed the plan, deciding that they were far enough away and using three of the gas guns to bring them to a halt relative to the wreck.

Haru knew that meant he was thinking about their oxygen supply. Each tank was good for twelve hundred minutes. They had four spares, so that was extended to eighteen hundred minutes.

He, like Kuuya, had been sure it would be enough.

If no one came, they would have to go back to the wreckage and look for more tanks. Even that would only be a stop-gap. What would they do if the Spear had been destroyed?

He studied the others. Tatsu seemed to have switched off. Haru remembered the lively child who had put leeches in his bed, so different from the prisoner on the ship who had cried all the time or this silent, still boy.

Kichi held Tatsu close, as he always did. Haru shivered, imagining it being him and Tsuneo.

Yo-chan didn't look good. He was sweating, which was weird because they weren't doing anything. His eyes were dull. Every so often he would mutter or growl softly. Haru wondered if the drugs that the Orochimaru print had given him were wearing off.

Everyone else was normal, including Haku-san, which was a relief after what he had seen in the galley. Kuu-chan and Ka-chan were a bit more serious than usual.

Ran was Ran. Ran was always Ran.

He napped, because there wasn't anything else to do and sleeping was better than worrying. He was woken by Kazuki and Kuuya changing his oxygen tank.

Haru knew what that meant; they had reached six hundred minutes and their tanks were about half empty. Swapping four of them to the spares meant that they wouldn't get into the situation where the eight of them were running out and all the oxygen was concentrated in only four tanks.

Haku-san, Ran, Yoshimi and Kuuya would change to the half-used tanks when theirs ran out at twelve hundred minutes.

At least all the tanks had been tested so there would be no last-minute surprises.

Soon Kuuya would have to make a decision. Did they go back to the wreckage and look for more tanks?

It would involve risks. The Orochimaru print could have nekos watching for them. There would be shrapnel; like the piece that had cut through To-chan's suit and into his back.

Kuu-chan and Ka-chan were connected; talking. Haru could imagine Kazuki arguing that he should go ahead and Kuuya refusing to let him go alone.

Ran was awake. Haru pulled out his communication cable and plugged into Ran's suit.

"_It'll be fine,"_ Ran assured him immediately. _"We can go back to the Sakura."_

"I know. Lady knows how many spare suits there are in the wreckage," Haru replied. "I just expected Itachi-san to be here by now."

"_You may have to build a raft out of the wreckage and power it with gas guns," _Ran suggested with a smile.

It was the kind of solution Haru had come up with when they were younger and playing make-believe.

"Not very feasible," Haru admitted. "Finding eight pods. That might work. Getting out of the suit and into the pod might be tricky through. Maybe we could find an intact airlock and use that."

Suddenly having to go back to the wreckage didn't seem so bad. Some of the pieces looked pretty big. Maybe they could make a mini space station.

"_You should get some more sleep,"_ Ran advised. _"Conserve your oxygen and your energy for when we need you most."_

Haru knew that Ran was right but Kuuya signalled that they needed to talk.

Kuuya and Kazuki had come up with a plan. To Haru's surprise it involved him and Ka-chan going ahead.

It was a bad sign. Itachi-san and Kakashi-san had driven it into the kits' minds, particularly Ka-chan's, that Haru was an asset that must be protected. Being near the wreck was more dangerous than being well away from it.

"_You are the only one that can work out how to use the wreckage,"_ Kuuya explained through a hardwired link.

So Kuuya thought Itachi-san wasn't coming. It was no longer about the future, it was about surviving now.

"_You must be careful,"_ Kuu-chan emphasised. _"You are to have a good look while Ka-chan collects tanks and gas guns."_

"I will be. When?"

"_Not yet. We thought we would give Itachi-san another five hundred minutes. There isn't any urgency. We can all be back at the wreck within two hundred minutes. __We're discussing it now__ because Ka-chan and I know how your mind works. You'll have better ideas if you sleep on it."_

It was easier to fall asleep this time, because planning how they could use the wreckage was less worrying than thinking about what had happened to Itachi-san.

"_Wake up, sleepy-head. Time to go and do some scavenging."_

It was Ran, so there was no sign of Itachi-san and Kuuya had decided that it was time to act.

"_You must be careful,"_ Ran reminded him. _"If you get yourself into a mess, Kazuki will do something stupid to save you."_

Thinking about what Ka-chan would do made the warning more real. "I'll be sensible," he promised.

Ran unplugged the communication link and gave him a hug.

Haru could hardly feel it through his suit.

They had two of the six remaining gas guns. The plan was to use half the gas in one gun to accelerate towards the wreck and the other half to slow them down when they got there. The other one would be for emergencies.

If it went as planned, it would take a hundred minutes to reach the wreck.

Kuuya untied them from the others, bound them together and connected their helmets so they could talk. Haru faced away from the wreck. Kazuki was pressed against his back, his arms around Haru's waist and the stock of the gun braced against the belly of Haru's suit. Kuu-chan checked that they were lined up before moving away and giving them the signal to go.

Ka-chan fired the gun and they were off.

As they accelerated, Haru thought he saw something move against the background of stars. He didn't say anything, because he knew Ka-chan was concentrating on keeping the gun straight and switching it off at the right time.

"Do you see that?" Haru asked once Kazuki had shut down the gun and stowed it in his belt.

"_Where?"_

Haru pointed.

Kazuki looked. At first his eyes were scanning but then they focused and his whiskers twitched. _"It could be a ship."_

Haru pulse quickened. "Ours or theirs?"

"_Too far away to tell."_

"Do you think Kuu-chan has seen it?"

"_Doubt it."_

They watched the speck become a dot and then a tiny, faraway shape.

"_Not one of ours,"_ Kazuki decided.

Haru swallowed. It could be the T2 enemy ship or the T3. They watched for a while longer. "Doesn't look like the T2 or the T3," he observed. "Wrong shape."

Ka-chan studied it. _"She's very pretty."_

Haru wished his eyesight was a good as Kazuki's. He stared at the shape. It looked vaguely familiar. Then it clicked. It was Klenn-san's ship, the Renaissance.

That was when Haru was sure he was crazy or it was a dream. Perhaps there was something wrong with his oxygen supply.

Only a hallucination could explain why Klenn-san was here to rescue them when he was dead.

"_Isn't that Klennethon Darrent's luxury yacht?" _Ka-chan asked.

That was a relief; if it was a hallucination, they were sharing it. "Yes," he replied.

Kazuki seemed unconcerned. _"Good. I can't see Garner-san selling it to the Akatsuki."_

It was a good point; if it was real it was probably friendly.

The ship had obviously seen the wreck because it was matching velocities. Then a bay opened and a shuttle launched.

Ka-chan was using the gas gun to push them towards it even before it came to a halt with its airlock door open.

The airlock started to cycle as soon as they had the outer door shut. The pump had to be powerful, because before he could think about checking the oxygen sensor on the arm of his suit the inner door was open.

It was To-chan and Papa. Behind them, standing a little way back, was Shi-chan.

Haru's helmet was open and To-chan was hugging him. After that Papa hugged him while To-chan hugged Ka-chan. Kazuki was telling them who was in the other group.

Then To-chan rushed away to move the shuttle closer to pick them up.

Shi-chan looked bad, like he had after Shikaku-san had died.

"Garner-san lent me the ship," he explained.

"Did you get past the disruptor?" Haru asked. "Or use one of the other holes?"

For some reason, the questions made Shi-chan look even worse. "Later," he replied.

Haru edged closer. Shi-chan looked like he needed a hug but they didn't usually do hugs.

Then Shi-chan's arms were around him and Haru was glad he was wearing a suit because otherwise he was sure his ribs would crack.

"I am so glad you are safe," Shi-chan whispered.

Haru agreed.

* * *

...


	46. Next

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, Whispering-Softly, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, JustSomeGuy, bookworm9407, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, superflaj, melissen and donalgraeme for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 6: Counterattack**

**46: Next**

* * *

By the time they had all the children aboard it was the middle of ship's night and Sasuke wanted nothing more than to tuck his children into bed and watch them sleeping.

Unfortunately, that was not an option. There was too much to do. They had to check over the wreck for their missing people and then get back to the Spear.

Shikamaru planned the search of the wreck and Neji showed Haku the accommodation while he and Naruto tanked Yoshimi.

It seemed the best thing to do given the drugs in his system and the lack of a replacement controller. The few minutes they had with him were precious but painful. He was nothing like himself but he was safe and Naruto was certain that he had not bonded with the Orochimaru print.

"His whiskers are gone," Naruto whispered as they spared a few moments to watch him through the green regen gel.

Sasuke found his hand and squeezed it. "They will grow back," he insisted.

Naruto managed a small smile.

Then it was back to work. Ran volunteered to look after their two toad hybrid guests; the younger one looked particularly traumatised. Kuuya and Kazuki insisted on helping Naruto and Neji check over the wreck; the Zetsus had volunteered to pilot the shuttle for them. Shikamaru was going to coordinate the search from the Renaissance's bridge while he kept an eye on the other ships using the telescopes. Haru, if he could stay awake, was going to help him.

Sasuke's job was to receive the report that Haku insisted on giving him in person.

By the end of his meeting with Haku, Sasuke was struggling to hold his temper. He suppressed the urge to shout or curse or hit. Haku, as usual, was behaving perfectly and it was the least he could do to do likewise.

Haku's report had been full of detail about what the Orochimaru print had done to the children, but had skated over the sacrifices he himself had made.

Sasuke could fill in the gaps. Haku had given himself to a sexual sadist, night after night, to prevent atrocities being enacted on children.

Including his children; the monster had tortured Haru, twisted Yoshimi's psyche with drugs and used a controller on Kazuki but it could have been much, much worse.

Then there was Rin. Was she really pregnant with Orochimaru's child?

When Haku stood, Sasuke did likewise.

Sasuke brought his hands together and bowed from the waist. "You have brought honour to yourself and to Uchiha by your actions, Haku-san. As my children's father, I am deeply grateful and consider myself indebted to you."

Haku gave a small bow in return as Sasuke straightened. "There is one thing you can do for me, Sasuke-sama."

"Please tell me, Haku-san."

"Don't give him to Kisame to kill, or Naruto, or Dan. Allow me to do it."

"If the opportunity presents itself," Sasuke agreed.

"Although I would step aside for Rin-san if she wished."

"I shall remember that, Haku-san."

Haku sniffed. "I shall check on Kichi-chan and Tatsu-chan before looking around the ship," he hinted.

Sasuke did not miss his cue. "Haku-san, I am officially asking you to be queen of the Renaissance for as long we have use of her."

"I accept, Sasuke-sama. I shall speak with Neji-san about the current arrangements once he is back aboard."

Sasuke then walked him to the door of the room he was using as his office; an extra courtesy that Haku would appreciate.

* * *

Haru had been relieved when Ran refused his offer to help settle Kichi and Tatsu. Instead he had gone into the next room, which Ran said they were sharing. He stripped off the ill-fitting suit and seen to its waste collectors before taking a shower. By the time he had finished drying himself someone had put a bag on his bed.

Inside were some of the clothes he had left in Tarrasade. He chose a pair of pants with many pockets and a blue top to go with the low, soft boots. After he pulled on the top he stroked the Uchiha crest in its place over his heart. It made him feel good.

Then he went to the control room to see if he could help with the search.

All the Renaissance was nice, like Klenn-san's apartment in Prime, but the control room was fantastic; like an old fashioned bridge in a story. The view port that doubled as a display was amazing and the captain's chair was really neat.

"Why don't you sit in it for a few minutes?" Shi-chan suggested. "I am sure your Papa wouldn't mind."

It was tempting, but Haru knew that there was work to do. "Later. What do you want me to do?"

"We need to get a grip on how the radiation from the explosion is dissipating. Ideally, we want to be able to filter it out so we can re-establish radio contact. At the moment we are communicating using telescopes and flashes of light. Use the console over there."

"Explosion?" Haru asked as he sat down and activated the interfaces.

"Itachi-san managed to get the disruptor at the first hole off line for long enough for us to jump the Linden back through and explode the Mulligan drive."

Haru was impressed; he didn't think he would have thought of using a Mulligan drive as a bomb. "The Linden?" he queried.

"The Akatsuki mother ship. Hoshi and Yuki renamed it after your Papa and Na-chan captured it."

Haru settled into the task before asking any more of the questions in his head. Shi-chan was multitasking as usual. On the left of the display was a three-dimensional map of the wreck. Areas that had been checked were in blue. Four bright dots showed To-chan, Ka-chan, Kuu-chan and Neji-san.

Over to the right was the enhanced feed from the telescopes. All three were focused on specific areas of space. One showed the Spear and the Blossom, another the T2 enemy ship and the third an area of space that Haru recognised; it was the location of one of the two best holes he had found in Orochimaru's data.

"Is there another jumpable hole linked into known space?" he asked.

"Yes, but it's blocked by a second disruptor," Shi-chan told him.

Haru felt awful. "The Orochimaru print showed me data. He told me to pick out the holes," he admitted. "I was scared of what he would do to Ka-chan."

Shi-chan turned to face him. "Did you tell him about all six?"

"Yes," Haru admitted.

"Without saying that two were better than the other four," Shi-chan suggested.

He nodded.

"Well he didn't build six disruptors so I think he picked the right one because we tested it from the other side."

Haru was about to ask why they had hadn't just jumped in with an attack force but he stopped himself. Papa would have taken what seemed the best decision at the time.

"There are things I need to tell you," Shi-chan continued, "but first we need to concentrate on finding Rin-san and Akemi-kun."

Haru took that to mean that he should get on with the analysis, so he did. Even so, he began to wonder what Shi-chan had to tell him.

It couldn't be that bad. If it was really bad To-chan or Papa would have told him. Maybe it was something to do with Shi-chan himself.

It was then that he noticed that Shi-chan wasn't wearing Neji-san's love ring.

He looked back at his console, his mind filled with speculation. Shi-chan and Neji-san had been together forever and Haru had never imagined them separating. Was that why Shi-chan looked so bad? Why had it happened? Had Shi-chan met someone else? Who could it be?

The only new person was Izuna-sama. Could Shi-chan be involved with Izuna-sama? It didn't seem very likely because, as Ka-chan had said but Haru hadn't been willing to admit, Izuna Uchiha was boring and a bit stuffy.

Maybe Neji-san had fallen for Izuna-sama. That made more sense, because it explained why Shi-chan looked bad.

As ship's dawn approached they had almost finished checking the wreck but there was no sign of Rin-san or Akemi-kun.

Haru thought that the Orochimaru print had taken them down to the surface. At least he thought he had taken Rin-san. No one had seen Akemi for ages; not since shortly after the Sakura had been taken. Maybe he was on the T2 ship. Haru's gut twisted; maybe he was dead.

Haru had managed to get his head around the radiation and started writing code for processes to clean up transmissions. The problem would be getting the programme to the other ships, so they could use it too.

At least they would be able to make sense of the transmissions they received. He checked; Shi-chan had recorded everything the Renaissance had received since jumping into the system.

He worked quicker; it would be good to have everything cleaned up and decoded by the time Papa asked how he was getting on.

"Haru-kun?" a voice asked and Haru jumped. He had been deep in a world of coding and encryption.

Papa was in the captain's chair; Haru had not even heard him enter. "I've almost finished, Papa. I am just adding a few refinements."

"Finished?" Papa queried.

"Ha-chan has been working on filtering out the interfering radiation," Shi-chan explained.

"You have done it already?" Papa was obviously excited by the prospect.

In answer Haru put up all the cleaned up and decoded transmissions in order with the most recent first. Papa was delighted. He was about to open the most recent from the Spear but hesitated.

"Your To-chan and the others are on their way in. Why don't you go and meet them? Then you should get yourself some breakfast."

Haru understood; there might be something in one of the transmissions that Papa would prefer him not to know yet.

Ran was already there, waiting at the shuttle bay for the search party to dock.

"How are Kichi and Tatsu?" Haru asked.

"I left them soaking in a bath and then they'll probably have a sleep. What have you been doing?"

"A data processing job for Shi-chan and Papa." Haru hesitated and then decided to tell Ran. "Shi-chan isn't wearing Neji-san's love ring."

Ran was not surprised. "I saw Neji-san wasn't wearing his when we boarded and he showed me and Haku-san where things were. Have you asked Shika-san about it?"

"No, but he said he had something to tell me later."

Ran was studying him. "Better wait rather than ask," he suggested.

Haru thought about it and nodded.

The Renaissance was big for a yacht but not huge and Shi-chan had decided it would be best if they didn't use Klenn-san's apartment, or Garner-san's or Miriam-san's. That left the three guest apartments. Papa, To-chan and Shi-chan were in one, which had rooms set aside for Su-chan, the triplets and Kiba-san.

The other two were being used as crew rooms. All the youngsters were in one with Haku-san looking after them. Kichi and Tatsu had the room with a bath. Ka-chan and Kuu-chan would be sharing with Haru and Ran. Haru guessed the other, smaller rooms would be for the rest of the big litter when they came aboard.

Ran went to help Haku-san, who was preparing breakfast. Haru showed Ka-chan and Kuu-chan to their room and waited for them to shower and dress.

Haru yawned; he hadn't had much sleep either of the previous nights.

"You should have slept," Kuuya told him.

"I was doing a job for Shi-chan."

Kazuki twitched his ears, asking for more details.

"There was background radiation interfering with all radio communications," Haru explained. "Shi-chan needed it filtered out."

Kuuya smiled. "And this task that Shika-san couldn't do took you how long?"

Haru flushed. "He probably could have done it if he had time." The two of them just looked at him. "About fifty minutes," he admitted.

"That's our genius little brother," Ka-chan declared.

"Less of the little," Haru complained.

"Why? We are both older than you and taller than you."

"It's minutes," Haru complained. "And I am not convinced Ka-chan is taller than me."

"He is," Kuuya confirmed. He held up a finger and a thumb a little way apart. "By this much."

Ka-chan grinned. "I'll be taller than Hikaru soon."

In-san and En-san never ate this early in the day and Papa, Shi-chan and Neji-san were having a working breakfast elsewhere. With To-chan being the only stranger, Haku-san was able to persuade Kichi and Tatsu to join them.

Haru watched To-chan work his magic on Tatsu, coaxing a shy smile and even a few words out of him. Kichi was besotted; quite willing to struggle with speaking the 'old way' to tell To-chan about their home and Riki-san.

At the end of the meal To-chan gave each of them a quick hug.

"We will get you home, we promise. Home to Riki-san. Now, why don't the two of you go back to your room and have another bath or a good, long sleep?"

Tatsu hugged him back as if he would never let go; in the end To-chan carried him back to his room with Kichi running ahead opening doors.

Haru watched; perhaps a tad jealous.

He had just decided that he should forget about it being morning and get some sleep when Shi-chan appeared in the doorway to the galley. Haru exchanged looks with Ran; time to find out what had happened between Shi-chan and Neji-san.

They walked along one of the viewing decks and sat on one of the benches there.

"I have something to tell you," Shi-chan began.

"About you and Neji-san," Haru supplied, trying to make it easier.

Shi-chan looked down at where his ring has been. "No, not that."

He had been so sure; if not that, what?

"It is about Sai," Shi-chan continued.

Haru froze; he was going to shake Su-chan until her teeth rattled.

"There is no easy way of saying this, Ha-chan. I think he is dead."

It took a moment or two for it to sink in. Sai was meant to be safe in Sumiko's purse. "How?" Haru whispered.

Shi-chan told him everything: Sai revealing who he was; the help he had given; how desperate they had been to come up with a new plan when the second hole was blocked; the craziness of jumping a Mulligan drive within three-hundred seconds; Sai assuring Shi-chan that he would copy himself into the new array.

"Sai would never agree to a back up," Haru whispered. "A backup would be other."

Shi-chan shook his head. "I didn't know him well enough to know. He put a simulation into the new array to trick me. By the time I found out it was too late. He was alone on the Linden and I couldn't stop him."

"He was real," Haru insisted. He was not sure how he felt; he was numb.

"I know that, Ha-chan. He was a special and unique person and if I had realised what he was going to do I would have stopped him."

Haru suddenly realised that the reason that Shi-chan looked so bad was because he was grieving for Sai.

They sat there side by side looking out at the moon with the planet and the stars beyond.

"Have you told Su-chan?" Haru asked finally.

Shi-chan flinched. "No. She was on the Silver Leaf and it isn't a conversation I want to have over a radio link."

Haru imagined how Su-chan would react; she would be devastated.

"Anyway," Shi-chan continued, "she will ask if I have looked for him. She made me promise to build an explosion-proof box."

Haru felt a tiny glimmer of hope. Shi-chan had said that he thought that Sai was dead. "You made the box?"

Shi-chan gave him a disbelieving look. "Ha-chan, it was an overloading Mulligan drive and Sai was at the epicentre."

"But you made the box," Haru checked.

"Yes," Shi-chan conceded.

"And you'll have to look, because Su-chan will never forgive you if you don't."

Shi-chan sighed. "Yes."

"Can I have the specs of the box you made?"

"Haru..."

"Please?"

"Very well. Haru, please don't build your hopes up."

Haru did not answer. He would not give up until he had found Sai's array, even if it was as dissipated atoms. He decided to change the subject.

"What happened between you and Neji-san?"

He did listen to Shi-chan's reply but he was already planning how to search for Sai without anyone but Shi-chan realising what they were doing.

"You should get some rest," Shi-chan told him once he had explained about Neji-san and Hinata-san.

Just the mention of it made Haru yawn. "Maybe a nap," he agreed.

"Do you want me to walk you back?" Shi-chan asked.

Haru shook his head. "I'll be fine."

* * *

Shikamaru felt a little better once he had told Haru about Sai, even if it looked like Haru was going to cling to the hope that Sai had survived the explosion.

He would have to cover for whatever searches Haru wanted to do.

He went back to the bridge. They had sent a message to their other ships in long-short, using flashes of light, saying that they could make sense of any transmissions received.

In response they had received an update from all four Uchiha craft. Shikamaru settled to the task of filtering, decompressing and decoding their communications.

Shikamaru sent the spoken reports to Sasuke and updated the battle board. The Blossom had managed to keep the minky fighters at bay while Itachi and Kisame patched up the Spear; both ships were now on their way to join them.

The Dart was almost at the second hole and was in contact by long-short with the Cherry.

The T2 ship had stopped. Shikamaru deduced that they did not know what to do now that they were out of contact with the Orochimaru print.

For now, the Renaissance would stay in orbit. The evidence was that the Orochimaru print was probably on the planet but might be hiding on one of the moons.

Sasuke took out his earpiece; a sure sign that he had finished listening to Inari's and Itachi's reports. Shikamaru sat back to indicate that he was listening.

"Inari says that there are no remote control bombs around the disruptor," Sasuke told him. "It looks like they are relying on minky fighters to self-destruct if the disruptor is damaged. Inari suggests that they will hesitate to sacrifice themselves without a direct order from the Orochimaru print or a neko. He wants to attack the disruptor now, before normal radio communications are possible. What do you think?"

It was risky; if the minky fighters organised they would be more than a match for the Dart and the Cherry. On the other hand, Inari was correct; their window of opportunity was limited. "I think Inari is in the best position to make the decision."

Sasuke nodded and began composing a message in long-short to send using flashes of light.

Having caught up, Shikamaru sat at his console wondering what he should do next.

"Shouldn't you be taking an anti-stim and getting some sleep?" Sasuke asked from the captain's chair.

Shikamaru checked the chronometer. It was just after ship's noon; almost exactly a day since they had jumped into the system. "Not yet," he replied. "I've been thinking."

"Tell me."

"We can't afford to abandon this system, like we did the one containing Naruto's planet, but we'll always be worrying that the Akatsuki have left yet another surprise for us like a bomb or a jammer or even ships manned by prints."

Sasuke looked alarmed and Shikamaru almost felt guilty.

"I suggest we thoroughly search the system. We can programme probes. They might need a few extra bits of kit but we should be able to build those once Kotetsu and Izumo are here. As a bonus, we can look for useful stuff from the Oak and we can pick over any fragments of Akatsuki technology that are left."

"Sounds sensible," Sasuke conceded.

"It would be a great project for Ha-chan," Shikamaru added. "He's brilliant at that systematic, data-based stuff. Like filtering the interference caused by the radiation and sorting out the route finder."

There was silence and Shikamaru resisted the temptation to say more.

"I will think about it," Sasuke said finally.

It was a yes to at least the search, even if not to Haru leading it. "Thank you, Sasuke-sama."

"Go take an anti-stim and get some sleep, Shika-san. That is an order."

"Yes, Sasuke-sama."

He felt unusually hungry and in need of caffeine when he woke up. Shikamaru knew the signs. He checked the chronometer; he had slept through to midmorning of the next day.

He stretched, wondering what had been happening, and had a quick shower before heading out to seek food.

Iruka-sensei was sitting in the galley, which was crazy; Shikamaru wondered if he was still asleep and dreaming.

Iruka laid down the tablet he had been reading and smiled at him. "Shika-kun."

Next thing he was in Iruka's arms, sobbing. He wasn't sure how it had happened, or why. Iruka held him tightly.

"It will be all right, Shika-kun," he whispered. "However bad it seems now, we'll find a way through."

Once the initial outburst had passed, Shikamaru sat back, wiped his face on his sleeve and tried to smile. "Sorry about that," he admitted.

"No need," Iruka assured him. "I am going to make you tea and toast and you are going to tell me about it."

Shikamaru would have preferred coffee but he had more sense than to ask for it.

He was careful to avoid mentioning Sai but almost everything else out came out. Iruka knew and had shared some of it, when the Oak was lost and Neji's kidnapping, but not all. Shikamaru realised that he was giving away more than he should about Izuna and moved on his decision to let Neji go, the disappointment of the second hole being blocked and the horror of seeing the Sakura in pieces.

"I was so sure he was dead," he admitted.

"Haru," Iruka checked

Shikamaru nodded. "I know I shouldn't care about him more than the others."

"You don't," Iruka assured him. "Haru will always be extra special to you because there are so many ties that bind the two of you together." He squeezed Shikamaru's hand. "He is safe now. All the children are safe."

"Including Ran," Shikamaru reminded him.

"Including Ran-chan," Iruka acknowledged. "Who allowed me to hug him, which was very understanding of him."

"How did you get here so quickly?" Shikamaru asked.

Iruka explained. Inari had acted as soon as he had received Sasuke's message. The disruptor had been disabled, none of the minky fighters had sacrificed themselves to disrupt the field and the Maple had jumped through.

Iruka and Kakashi had changed places with Inari and Tayuya. Then the Dart had travelled at full speed to the Renaissance.

"Kakashi has been impossible," Iruka told him. "I confess it has been frustrating to be sent this way and then that but never to arrive anywhere in time to make a real difference."

Shikamaru could imagine.

* * *

Sasuke watched Kakashi warily. He had rarely seen him so edgy.

"Each decision seemed the best at the time," he reminded him.

Kakashi gave him a look but then managed a small smile. "I know," he admitted. "Is there no sign of the print?"

"None."

Kakashi sighed. "Nor Rin nor Akemi?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Akemi may be on the T2 ship."

"Or dead."

"Or dead," Sasuke conceded, "but there is no point in dwelling on that. We must assume that he and Rin are alive."

"We shouldn't waste too much time on the print. We need to get rid of the Akatsuki once and for all."

"True." Sasuke hesitated but pushed on. "Then there's Izuna."

Kakashi smiled. "That's the first time you haven't called him Izuna Uchiha or Izuna-sama."

"Shika thinks he is going to try to take the clan leadership."

"And?" Kakashi challenged.

"Over my dead body," Sasuke declared.

"It might be," Kakashi reminded him. "You'll have to prepare for that eventuality."

Sasuke imagined the intensity of training that Kakashi had in mind.

"In the meantime, you'll have to stay away from him. Leave him to Shikamaru. Shikamaru will divert all his plotting and tie him up in knots."

"Not Shika," Sasuke disagreed. "At least not in person."

Kakashi scowled. "Why?"

Sasuke hesitated. "I think Izuna did something to him."

"What?" Kakashi demanded.

"He won't say."

"Order him."

"That doesn't work with Shika, you know that. He will appear to comply, but it'll be so interlaced with distractions and additions that we won't learn the truth."

Kakashi got up. For a moment Sasuke thought he was going to speak with Shikamaru.

"I'm going to get Iruka. By this time he will have spoken to everyone."

"Shika is sleeping off stims," Sasuke reminded him.

"We'll see," Kakashi replied and was gone.

Sasuke prepared tea in case Iruka was available, so he was ready to pour when Kakashi returned with Iruka and Naruto.

Sasuke smiled and found another cup while Naruto located a fourth chair.

"Shikamaru," Kakashi began. "What's our best guess at what happened between him and Izuna?"

"Izuna was pursuing him," Naruto told them. "Right from the start."

"Did Shikamaru respond?" Kakashi asked. "Is that why he broke up with Neji?"

"Shi-chan fancied him but soon decided he did not like him," Naruto replied.

"He made a pass at Shikamaru," Iruka told them. "Only Shikamaru threw up on him. Something about too many stims."

Kakashi's eye widened at the thought of it. Then Naruto burst into laughter, Iruka followed and Sasuke found himself joining in. Even Kakashi was smiling.

Then a thought crept into Sasuke's mind; a memory.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked immediately.

"Something in one of the five-daily reports," Sasuke admitted. "Konohamaru compiled them even when Asuma was tanked. Once we were back in contact, Asuma forwarded me the backlog."

He grabbed a tablet off his desk, activated an interface and began looking. "There was something in one of Moegi's regular medical reports. She mentioned finding Shikamaru in the infirmary giving himself treatment. Here it is. He required treatment to his face."

Naruto growled.

Sasuke found what he had been looking for; he had known there had been something about vomit. "There's more. He threw up on the floor. She took a sample and tested it once he was gone."

"And?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke had never looked at the results. Moegi's report had been four statements of fact: she had found Shikamaru treating himself in the infirmary; he had required treatment for a minor injury to his face; he had vomited; she had taken a sample from the vomit and tested it.

Re-reading it, he realised that the report was unusually devoid of deduction or comment. He opened the results and his gut twisted.

The vomit had contained a rare drug used to reduce willpower and make the subject suggestible.

Naruto had leaned over him and read the display before Sasuke could think of stopping him.

"He poisoned Shi-chan!" he announced. "He hit him and he poisoned him."

Sasuke thought it was probably the other way around. Izuna had drugged Shikamaru in order to seduce him, Shikamaru had thrown up and Izuna had hit him.

Then he saw Kakashi's expression.

"It wasn't a poison," he said hastily.

"Izuna drugged him," Kakashi checked.

Sasuke nodded. "It looks that way."

"Who provided the drug? And how in known space did he get it into the household?"

They were two very good questions.

* * *

...


	47. Reunion

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, Whispering-Softly, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, JustSomeGuy, bookworm9407, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, superflaj, melissen, donalgraeme, angangang and Zach for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 6: Counterattack**

**47: Reunion**

* * *

Haru woke because Kuuya and Kazuki were flicking each other with towels; leaping and dodging each other's attempts. For one sleepy moment he thought he was back in the nursery but then he remembered that they were on the Renaissance.

"He's awake," Ka-chan announced.

"About time," Kuu-chan replied.

Haru rolled out of his bunk before they could get any ideas about stripping off his bedcovers. He managed to make it into the head with only a couple of flicks to his butt.

All the kits were expert towel-flickers; the corners barely brushed his skin.

"You're back," he observed through the closed door.

Kuuya laughed. "No, genius, it was a holoimage flicking your butt."

Haru knew he wasn't at his brightest when he had just woken up.

"We got back about midnight," Kazuki told him. "You were asleep."

Kuuya, Kazuki and Ran had gone with To-chan to return Kichi and Tatsu to the Gama. To-chan had been able to go because Kakashi-san could stay with Papa.

A small part of Haru had wanted to go with them. The rest was content to stay on the Renaissance with Shi-chan and Papa. He had seen enough crocodiles, snakes and snapping fish to last him for a while.

"How did it go?" he asked. They had been gone two days and three nights.

"Well," Kuu-chan answered. "To-chan persuaded Gama-sama to let Riki-san back into the tribe. Given that Kichi and Tatsu wouldn't let go of him, there wasn't really another option but Gama-sama held out for ages."

"That's why it took so long," Ka-chan added. "To-chan decided we needed to reunite Kichi and Tatsu with Riki-san first, so we went and picked up Dan-san and Riki-san."

Haru wouldn't have liked being the one to tell Dan-san about Rin-san; there was still no sign of her or Akemi or the Orochimaru print.

He finished in the head, opened the door and made a dash for the shower while the kits peppered his back, butt and thighs with flicks.

"Where's Ran?" he asked as he shut the shower cubicle door.

"I win," Kazuki declared.

"Win what?" Haru asked.

"I bet Kuu-chan that you would ask about Ran before your array," Ka-chan replied. "Haku-san is busy so Iruka-san is making breakfast. Ran is helping him."

Itachi-san and Kisame-san had arrived the day before; Haru hoped that Haku-san's 'busy' was going well.

He did want to ask about his array but he was a bit cross with Kuuya for thinking he would put it before Ran, so he didn't. Instead he washed, rinsed and started to dry himself.

"What's been happening?" Kuuya asked, raising his voice over the noise of the blowers.

"T2 surrendered to the Electron. The Ninken is accepting the surrender of the minky fighters one by one. The Maple has jumped out and back bringing the Silver Leaf. Papa says that they will be here by this evening."

"Good," Kuuya acknowledged. "We're going to breakfast. Don't be late."

Dried and dressed, Haru headed for the galley. Iruka-sensei was cooking, Ran was helping him. Kuuya and Kazuki where sitting at the table, whiskers up and sniffing the air.

The kits were like To-chan; they loved Iruka-sensei's breakfasts.

Iruka-sensei summoned Haru over for a quick hug before telling him to sit down. Ran smiled and Haru smiled back.

"Do you want cooked breakfast, Haru-kun?" Iruka-sensei asked.

It smelled nice but Haru knew that it would sit in his stomach all morning. "No thank you, Iruka-sensei."

"Serve yourself then," he replied and signalled towards the containers of dried fruits, grains, nuts and yoghurt on the side.

Haru was filling a bowl when To-chan walked in.

"I thought I smelled breakfast." He went to Iruka-sensei and gave him a hug and a kiss. "That will do for me." He twitched his whiskers at Kuuya and Kazuki. "You two won't mind having yoghurt, will you?"

The look on Ka-chan and Kuu-chan's faces was priceless. Haru sniggered. It was good to see Kuuya and Kazuki getting teased rather than being the teasers.

Iruka-sensei rapped To-chan's knuckles with his spoon. "The three of you can share this and I will cook up a second batch."

To-chan gave Haru a quick hug and a kiss before sitting down. Haru quickly finished serving himself and went to sit beside him before someone else could take the place.

There was no conversation until To-chan, Kuu-chan and Ka-chan had demolished their first serving. To-chan finished first, He sat back in his chair with a small purr of contentment.

"That was lovely, Iruka-sensei," he acknowledged before focusing on Haru. "Your Papa tells me that you are going to organise a thorough search of the entire system."

Haru perked up. He had known that Shi-chan had suggested it so that he could look for Sai, but he had not known that Papa had agreed.

"We need to check that the Akatsuki haven't left us any surprises," Kuuya suggested.

"And learn more about how they operate," Kazuki added.

Iruka-sensei brought over the pan and topped up To-chan's and the kits' plates. "You can look through the wreckage of the Oak. Perhaps, if you are lucky, you will find precious things that people will miss."

"Like Papa's biwa," Ka-chan suggested immediately.

To-chan smiled at Kazuki and Haru wished he had thought of that. He began thinking of the different aspects of the search; they would need probes, ships, instruments, detectors and room to store everything they managed to salvage. The space he needed could be a problem. The Renaissance was far too small and he could not see the Maple staying in the system for long.

Ka-chan was calling him. "...Ha-chan! It's no good To-chan, he's light minutes away."

Haru flushed. "Sorry, To-chan."

"I was saying that I had something for you," To-chan repeated. He got up, left the room for a moment and was carrying a snakeskin bag when he returned. He placed it on the table close to Haru.

All thought of eating vanished as Haru took out his data crystal array. There were a few new stains to the leather case but otherwise it looked fine.

Seeing it reminded him of Sai. He hadn't told Ka-chan or Ran; they still thought that Sai was with Su-chan.

Telling them would mean he would have to talk about the possibility that Sai was dead.

"Ha-chan?" To-chan queried.

Haru realised that To-chan had expected him to be happy about the array. "Do you think the Maple will get here today?" he asked.

The distraction worked; To-chan was thinking about being reunited with the triplets and the rest of the big litter.

"They should be here by mid afternoon. Have you decided who is going to sleep where?" he asked.

Kuuya nodded. "Ya-chan and Yo-chan get Kichi and Tatsu's room. Hoshi and Yuki get the other small room. The rest of us share. One or more of us will sleep in with Ya-chan until Yo-chan is detanked."

To-chan twitched his whiskers. "Isn't that room a bit small for seven? It's snug for the four of you."

Haru couldn't agree more.

"We'll find a cubbyhole for Ran," Iruka-sensei volunteered. "There must be somewhere."

Haru didn't want that but he looked towards Ran and caught the tail-end of a small, grateful smile. It made him feel bad; he shouldn't have been thinking that he wanted to share with Ran, he should be realising that Ran, as an empath, wouldn't cope squeezed in with six other people.

"When will Yo-chan be detanked?" Kazuki asked.

"We are making absolutely sure we have all the drugs out of his system," To-chan answered. "It will be soon, though. Shi-chan has already adapted one of the spare controllers. Maybe tomorrow, if Shizune-san is available."

Rin-san had always looked after their health; it would be weird to have Shizune-san doing it instead.

By ones and twos the others left until there was only Haru and Ran. Ran finished tidying up and made himself up a bowl of yoghurt, dried fruit and grains before sitting down.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "I thought you'd be happy to get your array back but seeing it made you sad."

Haru took a deep breath and began explaining about Sai. He knew he wasn't being very clear and that Ran didn't understand about ablative armour or blast patterns. Even so, as usual, Ran followed the sense of what he was saying.

"Sai tricked Shika-san into letting him do something necessary but incredibly dangerous," he summarised when Haru stopped talking. "Now he is lost and may be dead."

Haru could not bring himself to admit it in words but he nodded.

"Well, at least he doesn't need oxygen or food or water. How long do you have before his power cell runs out?"

"Standards provided it isn't damaged," Haru replied. "Shi-chan persuaded Papa that we ought to search the whole system so I could look for him."

"If Shika-san believes Sai is real, won't Sasuke-sama?" Ran asked. "Maybe you should tell him about Sai."

"No," Haru answered at once, almost without thinking. "It isn't as dangerous for Shi-chan because Centre would never mindwipe a typed-seven genius."

He could see that Ran wasn't convinced.

Shi-chan thinks we should keep it a secret," Haru added.

Thankfully Ran accepted that.

It was a busy day. There were fittings to move, lockers to find, beds to make up and Haru was on watch for part of the morning. It was afternoon before he managed to check his array; Shi-chan helped him run a full diagnostic.

While they worked they talked about the search for Sai and about Shi-chan's plans to hunt down the Akatsuki.

"It looks fine," Shi-chan acknowledged as they inspected the results.

"_This is Inryoku."_

They both jumped; the intercoms on the Renaissance didn't click like the Uchiha version.

"_The shuttle is docking."_

On its first trip the shuttle from the Maple was bringing Kiba-san, the triplets, Sumiko and the pods containing Mai and Shou.

"I must go," Shi-chan said. "Are you coming?"

Haru hesitated.

"I am sure Kiba would be delighted if you were there," Shi-chan encouraged.

The shuttle bay was crowded. Papa and To-chan were there for the triplets. Kuuya and Kazuki, like Haru, had come to greet Kiba-san. Kisame-san was there with a hover platform to pick up the pods.

To everyone's surprise, the first person down the gangplank was Yasushi. Haru guessed he hadn't wanted to wait until the second shuttle trip to see Yoshimi.

Kisame-san left with the pods, To-chan and Papa carried the triplets away, Kuuya took Yasushi to the infirmary to visit Yoshimi and Su-chan led Shi-chan off to their rooms.

Kazuki and Haru were left with Kiba-san.

Kiba-san put them side by side and crouched down in front of them. Haru knew that he was studying them, looking for the least suggestion that they had been mistreated.

"We're fine," Kazuki insisted.

"You are fine," Kiba-san agreed. "We hybrids are tough." He put out a hand and stroked Haru's upper arm. "Ha-chan?"

Haru found himself blinking back tears. He remembered how had felt when the Orochimaru print had been humiliating Rin-san and threatening Kazuki or Ran. Then his mind was full of how scared he was that Sai had sacrificed himself to save them.

Kiba-san wrapped him in a tight, warm hug. "You are safe now, Haru-chan," he whispered.

Haru decided that a bit of clinging would not go amiss.

"We fought crocodiles," Kazuki was saying. "There were snakes and fish with teeth. I got to use a laser rifle and Ha-chan saved us all by making a grenade for me to throw."

Kiba-san's hug tightened slightly.

"That wasn't the bad bit," Haru confided. "That bit was kind of fun."

Kiba-san pushed him a little way away so that they could make eye contact. "I lived in an Orochimaru print's household for standards. I know what he is like."

"Haku-san and Rin-san put themselves between him and us. He hurt them," Haru admitted.

Ka-chan gave a small whimper of agreement.

Kiba-san pulled them both in for another hug. "We protect each other. It is who we are."

By the time they had helped Kiba-san take his stuff to his room, the shuttle was docking again. They hurried back to the bay to find Kuuya already there.

"Ya-chan is sitting with Yo-chan," he told them. "We'll go and get him later."

Kazuki flicked his ears and Haru nodded. Then the shuttle door opened and the other five members of the big litter were bearing down on them.

Next thing Haru knew Ryuu had lifted him up and was spinning him about. He was dizzy by the time Ry-chan put him down and moved onto Kazuki.

He found himself face to face with Hikaru.

"Ha-chan," Hikaru acknowledged.

"Hi-chan," Haru replied and then was gathered into a hug by Keizo.

Next they all went to the infirmary to have what Hoshi called a proper reunion. Yasushi was sitting close to the tank with his hand pressed against the side. Kazuki went up close and peered through the green gel.

"I think I can see a whisker growing back," he announced, which won him a small smile from Ya-chan.

Then it was back to their rooms to argue about beds and lockers before the evemeal.

Haru sat on his bed while the newcomers unpacked. Looking at Ran's bed and seeing Hikaru sitting there felt wrong.

"So what do you think will be happening, Ha-chan?" Hoshi asked from the doorway.

"Shi-chan thinks we have enough information to hunt down the Akatsuki," Haru replied.

"What about us?" Hikaru asked. "Do you think Papa will send us home to Tarrasade?"

Haru didn't but he was not sure why. It was tied up with Izuna-sama but Papa and To-chan and Shi-chan were careful not to talk about it in front of him. "There's lots to do here," he suggested.

"I want to help hunt down the Akatsuki," Keizo admitted.

"That isn't going to happen, Kei-chan," Hoshi pointed out. "Having us captured is going to make Papa and To-chan even less likely to allow it."

Haru thought about what Haku-san and Rin-san had gone through to protect them. "Maybe they are right," he heard himself say.

The others were looking at him.

"Well I'm not scared," Hikaru declared. "I don't want to hide somewhere safe while others put themselves in danger."

Haru hadn't meant it that way.

Kazuki was on his feet. "Don't you dare paint Ha-chan as some kind of coward. He did just fine. He saved us from the crocs and he got us off the Sakura before it blew up. What were you doing?"

Ryuu was up and growling.

"Stop it!" Kuuya yelled.

There was silence.

"We are not going back to bickering about nothing," Kuuya insisted. "We were lucky this time. We aren't sure how long it'll take Yo-chan to recover but at least we all made it. Ha-chan, explain why it's better for us to accept that Papa and To-chan aren't going to let us go anywhere dangerous."

Haru wished he had kept his mouth shut but he knew he had to try. "While we are young, the others will do anything to protect us." He tried to stop his voice shaking but knew he was not succeeding. "Like Haku-san and Rin-san with the Orochimaru print."

He took a deep breath and managed to get his voice under control. "We need to be older and stronger and tougher, so we can protect others rather than them protecting us. For some of us that may mean a couple of standards of hard work." He pointed at Ryuu and Kuuya. "For others it may take a bit longer." He gestured towards Hikaru. "And maybe I have to accept that, for me, it will never happen and that what counts is not putting other people in situations where they will suffer or even die to protect me."

And suddenly his mind was full of Sai and what he had done.

He automatically looked towards where Ran should be but Hikaru was there instead with that sneer on his face.

Haru could not be there. He had to be alone. He heard voices behind him, some arguing and some calling him, so he started to run.

He wished he knew where Ran was.

He slowed when he reached the long viewing gallery, intending to look out at the stars.

"Go away!"

It was Sumiko. She was alone and she had been crying. Haru guessed that Shi-chan had told her about Sai. He decided to leave her alone and went up the other end to sit on one of the benches.

Klenn-san must have really liked looking at the stars; there were viewports all over the Renaissance.

There was a sound and the bench dipped very slightly. "I shouldn't have told him," a small voice said from beside him.

Haru turned his head.

"If I hadn't told Nii-san, Sai would be safe."

It was true. Sai couldn't have got onto the Linden without Shi-chan's cooperation. Haru thought about pointing out that Sai had saved them from the Orochimaru print but decided not to. He was pretty sure Su-chan would prefer to have him dead and Sai alive.

"How did Sai get on with Shi-chan?" he asked instead.

Su-chan blinked at him, distracted from her misery by the unexpected question. For a moment he wondered if she wouldn't answer, but she did.

"Really well. It was nice. Once Neji moved out I had projectors in my room and Nii-san used to tell us bedtime stories." She considered. "Sai likes him lots and he knew Sai was real as soon as he met him."

Haru noticed that Su-chan talked about Sai as if he was still alive. "I'm going to look for him."

"I know," she conceded. "Nii-san told me. Nii-san thinks he's dead. He didn't say so, but I can tell."

"I won't believe that unless I find the vaporised atoms from his data crystals," Haru insisted.

Sumiko studied him for a moment and then nodded. "Good. I shall expect you to keep me posted about the search."

For once her high-handedness didn't annoy him. "Yes, Su-sama," he replied.

She looked confused for a moment and then flushed. "You're teasing me. You don't do that."

"Maybe I'm going to start."

She scowled at him. "No. You're Haru. You don't tease people."

They sat side-by-side, looking out at the stars. Haru was thinking about Sai trapped like he had been trapped in Shi-chan's array in the storage cupboard. Would it be worse this time because he was used to so much more freedom?

Or maybe he was really dead; completely and irretrievably gone.

He pulled himself up short. He would not think like that.

Su-chan poked his arm.

"What?" he asked.

She indicated the other end of the viewing deck. Standing there, looking at him, was Hikaru.

Haru didn't want to speak to him. Maybe if he ignored him, Hikaru would go away.

"I am going back to my room," Sumiko announced, standing up. "Nii-san will be worried about me."

He watched her walk away, which gave him an excuse for not looking in Hikaru's direction. Even if Hi-chan was there to speak with him, it would because Hoshi had shamed him into doing so.

Soft footsteps and then the bench dipped.

"I didn't mean to imply that you are a coward," Hi-chan began.

Haru wasn't feeling generous. "I don't care what you think. Stay away from me, grow up and try not to get Ry-chan killed protecting you when you do something reckless. Maybe, if we're lucky, we'll like each other more as adults than we do now."

Hikaru paled. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"That's the problem. You have to try. So do I. Best we settle for civil. Nice is probably a step too far."

Hikaru stood up. "If that's how you want it."

Haru felt a belated pang of guilt, but he had gone too far to turn back. "Yes, it's how I want it."

He kept his eyes fixed on the stars as Hikaru walked away. Part of him wanted to run after Hi-chan and apologise. The rest would not let him. He did not know if it was Uchiha pride or habit; he had always been at his most stubborn when Hikaru was concerned.

Then he was alone with his thoughts, which weren't the best company.

He had just decided that he would go and find Ran when the bench dipped for the third time. He had no warning, so it had to be a hybrid or Itachi-san.

It was To-chan. His eyes were sad and his whiskers drooped a little. Haru felt awful, knowing he was the cause of it.

"Hi-chan came to speak with you because I asked him."

Haru's gut twisted. He had been so sure it had been Hoshi's doing.

"You will always be able to do this, Haru-chan. You will always be able to speak a truth that should be left silent."

Haru remembered all those standards ago when he had told Hi-chan that Teruko and Takara were To-chan's genetic children while Hikaru was not. At least this time he had done nothing more than acknowledge his and Hikaru's dislike of each other. Then he remembered what he had said about Hikaru getting Ry-chan killed and flushed.

"And Hikaru-chan will always say things that are partly fuelled by his own insecurities, without thought of how they will sound to others."

"It's not what he says," Haru complained. "It's the way he looks at me."

To-chan smiled. "It's not directed at you, Ha-chan. It's his resting expression."

Haru had never thought of that. "Do I look like that?" he asked.

"No, you look as if you are half a galaxy away. Ha-chan, I shall say to you what I said to Hi-chan. It would mean a great deal to me if the two of you would try to get on."

"I don't think he'll talk to me after what I said," Haru admitted.

"We'll see. Will you stay here until I get back?"

Haru nodded.

To-chan was only gone a few minutes and when he returned he had Hikaru with him. He gestured that Hi-chan should sit down on the bench.

"Good," To-chan acknowledged. "I want you to start by listing all the things you have in common, taking it in turns. You first, Ha-chan."

Haru cast about what to pick; he wanted it to do this right for To-chan. He touched the crest at his breast and then the crest at Hikaru's; despite the long hair and imitation spacer clothes, it was still there.

"We are Uchiha."

Hikaru frowned and Haru tensed. He made himself relax. It probably wasn't Hi-chan thinking that he picked something dumb. It was probably just Hi-chan thinking.

Hikaru touched Haru's crest and then his own. "We are new Uchiha."

* * *

...


	48. Declaration

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, Whispering-Softly, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, JustSomeGuy, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, superflaj, donalgraeme, angangang, Zach, melissen and bookworm9407 for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 6: Counterattack**

**48: Declaration**

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Sasuke blinked at the data, images and diagrams spread across the displays. After sixteen standards he should know better than to encourage Shikamaru to use his imagination.

Shika himself had that look on his face; the one that meant either a present or a surprise or sometimes both.

"Here we go," Kakashi observed.

Iruka gave him a warning look and Kakashi replied with a small shrug.

Neji settled back into his chair.

Sasuke caught Naruto's eye. Naruto smiled and then turned his attention to Shikamaru.

"I had three starting points," Shikamaru began. "Eliminating the Akatsuki, addressing the issue of Izuna-sama and not ignoring the future because we get obsessed with the problems we have now."

Sasuke whole-heartedly supported the first two. He felt less sure about the third. Unless they solved the others there may not be a future to worry about.

"But before I started thinking about details I decided to check out the third hole," Shikamaru continued. "I discussed it with Sasuke-sama and we decided it would be best to use the Dart. Tatsuji-san, In-san and En-san collected the data for me."

It had not been much of a discussion. Sasuke had recognised the look in Shikamaru's eyes. He knew that his role on such occasions was to validate Shikamaru's intuition.

If you could call the lateral thinking that was unique to typed-seven geniuses intuition.

"And?" Kakashi demanded.

Shikamaru, always one for the dramatic twist to a story, activated a three dimensional projection.

"Mulligan's teats," Kakashi murmured.

Sasuke agreed. They had a four jump shortcut to Tarrasade. Three of the jumps required an improver, so it could never be a commercial route, but in some ways that was better. The Dart could make it home within three days.

"This, along with the presence of the toad hybrids, changes how we see this system," Shikamaru stated.

The toad hybrids; Sasuke looked to his left, knowing that Naruto would be looking at him. Their eyes met; Sasuke's assuring Naruto that he would respect the inhabitants' claim on the planet and Naruto's filled with trust and approval.

Shikamaru was continuing. "Despite its massive commercial potential, I recommend we use this system as a secure base. Commercial development could be restricted to the third system in this string for a generation or so. That would also allow time for the toad hybrids to adapt to being reconnected with known space.

"I am suggesting we gate the string only up to the third system and build a modular space station, like Haven, in that third system. We get the same company to provide modules that we can use to build a smaller space station here."

"I thought we had exhausted all Uchiha's funds," Iruka commented.

Shikamaru coloured slightly. "I will buy the two extra gates off Uchiha. That will resolve Uchiha's credit flow issues. Also, I am planning to rationalise some of the minigate routes. This will mean that Uchiha will double the value of its contracts with the Stellar Exchange for ultra-fast data transfer. I could show you the figures."

"No," they all chorused.

"The idea is to get accommodation, a dock and a shipyard in this system as quickly as possible. This will then function as our base. Not only have we needed a base away from Tarrasade for some time, for privacy and security reasons, but it will be extremely useful while we tackle the Izuna Uchiha issue."

"What about making it secure?" Kakashi asked. "Not only do the Akatsuki know where it is but they have been crawling all over it."

Sasuke's mind wandered while Shikamaru explained his plan, or rather Haru's plan, for searching the system. Shikamaru also intended to use an Akatsuki-type disruptor to reblock the first hole, the one that did not need an improver. He had even come up with a system that would allow them to communicate through that minigate and an incoming Uchiha ship to switch off the disruptor, which was a bonus.

Shika had been through it all with him in minute detail over the last few days, so he did not need to listen. Instead he thought about having a base here. The idea had much to commend it, the best being that it provided a place where his children could have challenges to face while being safe from Uchiha's enemies.

Finally Kakashi was satisfied and they were ready to move on.

"We all agree that we have to get rid of the Akatsuki once and for all," Shikamaru acknowledged. "We have always wanted to do that but there has never been a realistic prospect of success. I think we are finally in a position to do it because we have much more current intelligence, better communications and the allied crews."

Shikamaru gave a small smile. Sasuke knew that expression. He braced himself for whatever bombshell Shika was about to drop.

"My suggestion is that Uchiha declares a vendetta."

It was brilliant. It would galvanise the allied crews. It would create a frenzy of attention, reducing the number of rocks under which the Akatsuki could hide. It would capture the media's attention, diverting them from Izuna.

"What's a vendetta?" Naruto asked.

"Blood feud," Sasuke told him. "No negotiations, no being reasonable, no challenges, no chances to surrender. If they are Akatsuki, we destroy them." It was sinking in just what a wonderful idea it was. A vendetta would release Uchiha from following the spacer code when the Akatsuki were under no such constraints.

Naruto looked unconvinced. "A vendetta means we get to break all the rules?"

"The rules are different. It's a bit like a challenge but between clans rather than individuals," Sasuke explained. "They were common centuries ago."

"The Akatsuki qualify as a clan?" Iruka queried.

Kakashi smiled. "I am sure that they will appreciate the promotion. Historically, vendettas were declared in exactly these types of situations, when one clan had broken the rules. The Akatsuki have used piracy and bombs. No one will query Uchiha's right to declare a vendetta against them."

Naruto was still frowning. "So how does it work? How do we stop innocent people getting in the way?"

"It will work fine, Na-chan," Shikamaru assured him. "The vendetta will be carefully defined when it is declared. Saying who isn't covered is as important as saying who is. For example, we would state that Konan, Hana, Nagato Junior, In-san and En-san are not covered. If Pein is still active in the Akatsuki, it will sow dissent."

"We'll say that Sasori isn't included," Sasuke suggested. "That will make them doubt everything he ever did for them."

"And Kotohime," Shikamaru added.

"What about the hybrids?" Naruto pressed.

"We ask them to desert," Kakashi suggested. "You can record an appeal. If they escape and declare themselves neutral, we will settle them somewhere with start up funds. Like we offered the nekos."

Iruka nodded. "That's a good idea, Naruto-kun. You can add in bits of video showing the types of lives hybrids lead after the HDL has helped them."

Naruto considered and then nodded, which was a relief.

They had a short discussion about what should be included when the vendetta was declared before deciding to schedule a separate meeting with that as its focus.

"The third issue," Shikamaru went on, "is one in which the spacer code cannot be ignored. Indeed it must be complied with most assiduously." He looked at Sasuke expectantly.

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Izuna Uchiha is a full blood Uchiha who has not sworn allegiance to me and who is in a position to make a claim for the clan leadership. As Uchiha-sama, I am ordering you to speak freely about this issue. However, please make an effort to remain respectful."

"Neji," Shikamaru invited.

"It is important to think about this from Izuna-sama's point of view. He believes he has a legitimate claim on the clan leadership. He has not given his loyalty to Sasuke-sama, so he is at liberty to gather supporters from among those who are sworn to Uchiha but not among those who are sworn personally to Sasuke-sama." Neji paused. "He believes he would be a stronger and more experienced leader."

"We have no evidence that he has done anything untoward," Shikamaru emphasised. "Perhaps one or two things that push the boundaries a little, but these are very mild compared to the behaviour of powerful full-blood Uchihas in the past."

Sasuke could see from Naruto and Iruka's expressions that they did not consider drugging Shikamaru in order to seduce him in any way mild. However Shikamaru was right; on a scale where bad behaviour was mass murder or systematic abuse, feeding someone an aphrodisiac was little more than rude.

"Nevertheless," Shikamaru continued, "things have happened for which we have no explanation. Hinata-san tells us that Neji was offered to the Hyuga before the kidnapping. The Akatsuki were waiting for us in this system. The most likely explanation for these events is a leak from the household. To support this, I have evidence that a message was sent from the Stellar Exchange on Tarrasade less than one day after we received word that Sasuke-sama had escaped the Akatsuki's trap."

"If he could get the drug into the household, he could get information out," Kakashi pointed out, bluntly.

It was the closest anyone had got to a direct accusation.

"We now restrict the information flow within the household," Sasuke reminded them. "We must remember that even if I had irrefutable evidence that Izuna-sama was working with the Akatsuki against Uchiha interests, all I could do was confront him. He would challenge me for the leadership and I would have to fight him." He took a deep breath. "I do not want to risk everything we have, everything we have built together, on a single knife fight."

There was silence as they contemplated that possibility; a silence that Shikamaru broke.

"Of course that changes once we declare the vendetta. If he gives information to the Akatsuki once the vendetta is declared you can slit his throat."

Sasuke had not thought of that; trust Shikamaru. "I shall keep that in mind," he acknowledged.

"Only he won't," Shikamaru added. "He is far too clever for that."

"He has very limited resources," Kakashi insisted.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Not true. You aren't the only one who had been generous to him, Sasuke-sama. Although he is never paid, he does take gratuities and honorariums. For example, he is receiving considerable amounts of credit from the media company for which he is giving the regular interviews on life a millennium ago."

"Are they successful?" Iruka asked.

"Hugely," Shikamaru replied. "Massive viewing figures." He paused, frowning slightly. "Then there is credit I gave him."

It was the first Sasuke had heard of it.

"When and how much?" Kakashi demanded.

"When Sasuke-sama was missing. He found out that Uchiha had no credit in the bank and he began questioning why I had resources of my own. I had to do something to stop him asking what I owned and exactly what I did."

"How much?" Kakashi pressed.

"The balance of one of my accounts." Shikamaru frowned, as if he was dredging up some insignificant fact. "A couple of petacredits."

Iruka, Neji and Naruto gasped.

"It was the safest thing to do at the time," Shikamaru insisted. "If I had given him even the slightest hint that I was hiding something he would have started interrogating me." His voice shook slightly. "You don't understand. We can't say no to him. Unless Sasuke is there to override his orders, we have to do what he says."

Sasuke had a sudden insight into what it had been like; the pressure Izuna had put Shika under. "It was exactly the right thing to do," he confirmed. "He was distracted by the credit and did not think of looking deeper."

Shikamaru settled, helped by Naruto reaching out to him and squeezing his hand.

Sasuke decided to move things on. "So how are we going to manage the situation?"

"Stay away from him," Kakashi stated. "We do not wish to risk a challenge. Prepare you in case a challenge proves to be the only option."

The training sessions had already started; Sasuke's muscles ached and his nanobots were working overtime to resolve the bruising.

"Think about who you have in the household in Tarrasade," suggested Neji. "Also, we need to monitor and manage your media profile."

"Keep a close watch on him," Shikamaru added. "I am monitoring his activities and I have someone working for him."

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Madara sat back in his chair and surveyed his new domain.

He had an entire floor of the Uchiha headquarters. Most of it was modern; cutting edge design provided by a company that would have done almost anything for handful of images of him sitting on a chair or at a table. This room, his office, was different. It had been furnished from the Uchiha storerooms. Crossing its threshold reminded people who he was.

Or rather who he purported to be,

Other than Sumaru, he had chosen every member of his staff. Asuma's only conditions had been that his people passed a level two security check and did not enter the household.

A polite knock at the door, a six second wait in case he should choose to reconsider his availability and then Sakura entered.

"Your coffee, Izuna-sama," she announced and placed the cup and saucer in exactly the correct place on his desk.

He liked Sakura's imperfections. She had obviously been raised by aspiring, middle income parents who had spoiled her. She was not beautiful: her forehead was too wide; her breasts should be fuller; her butt could be rounder and higher; the pink hair and emerald eyes were slightly ridiculous. Her manners were learned rather than ingrained; she still had to think about selecting the appropriate response.

She showed her emotions, which was a fault in someone employed to serve.

Unlike Ino; there was no doubt in Madara's mind that any emotion Ino showed was carefully measured and perfectly judged. During her interview she had asked him how he wished her to behave towards him. He had said professionally and, since that moment, her behaviour towards him had been precisely that.

He wondered if it would have been different if he had said warmly or even coquettishly.

She was beautiful. Her hair was pale gold. Her eyes would have rivalled the fox hybrid's if they had not been so cold. She was long limbed, deliciously slender and lusciously curved.

Yet it was Sakura that he fantasised fucking: those too-small breasts in his hands and that too-flat butt cushioning his thrusts; sweaty stands of that ridiculous pink hair falling over the too-wide forehead; emerald eyes widened in shock as he introduced her to sexual practices that did not feature in nice, well-raised girls' dreams.

By the Lady he wished that Izuna had been even slightly interested in women. Sometimes he fancied that he could hear his brother laughing at his predicament.

"Is there anything else you want, Izuna-sama?" she asked.

Very much so, he thought. I want you face down and butt up. "No, Sakura," he replied. He sipped his coffee. "On second thoughts, I intend to move our usual meeting to this afternoon. Please inform Ino. Asuma-san has asked me to attend a meeting in the household this morning."

"Yes, Izuna-sama."

The chronometer indicated that he should be on his way to the household. As he left his office Ino was already holding his jacket and Sumaru was there, waiting.

"Do you know what this is about Sumaru-kun?" he asked as they walked along an empty corridor.

"Yes, Izuna-sama. Sasuke-sama is making a public announcement," Sumaru replied. "He wishes us to see it first."

Inside, Madara sneered. It would be another insipid appeal for tolerance and charity.

Only it was not; that was clear from the first image. Sasuke Uchiha stood in the centre. To his right was the fox hybrid. To his left was Kakashi. On the other side of the fox hybrid was Itachi. On the other side of Kakashi was the sharkman.

All five were dressed in the blue, leather and net of the Uchiha uniform. For the first time, Madara understood why Sasuke Uchiha favoured it over a more formal alternative. They looked dangerous; even the three purebreds looked slightly feral.

Then, after precisely enough time for the watcher to process what he was seeing, Sasuke Uchiha began moving his hands.

Madara's mouth dried and his gut twisted. He doubted that many alive today would recognise the gestures but he was one of them.

Uchiha was declaring a vendetta.

After the gestures came the words. _"I, Sasuke Uchiha, leader of the Uchiha clan, declare a vendetta against those who call themselves the Akatsuki. I name Orochimaru, Kabuto and Pein. I exclude Kiba, Konan, her son Nagato, Hana, the Zetsus also known as Inryoku and Enerugi, Kotohime __and Sasori._

"_There will be no warnings, no challenges, no quarter and no mercy. Anyone supporting the Akatsuki in any way, however small, will be a target. You have this one warning. If you are anyone other than Orochimaru, Kabuto or Pein, distance yourself from them__. Declare__ yourself neutral. Otherwise you will die."_

The video faded into others showing hybrids living and working.

"_Do not think you have no future other than what the Akatsuki offers you."_ It was the fox hybrid speaking. _"We will give you a fresh start. Passage to another part of known space for you and your loved ones. Enough credit to get you started."_

Madara did not care about hybrids. However, Orochimaru relied on them heavily; mass desertions would damage him badly. It was a clever ploy.

As was the vendetta itself.

A close up of Sasuke Uchiha filled the screen. _"For the leaders of the Akatsuki, for Orochimaru, Kabuto and Pein, this is a death sentence. For those who follow them, or supply them, or pass them information, it is your last and final warning."_

He completed the series of gestures, committing Uchiha to the vendetta until at least Orochimaru, Kabuto and Pein were dead.

The video finished. He was staring at nothing. Had that last sentence been directed at him? Did Sasuke Uchiha suspect that Izuna Uchiha had been passing information to the Akatsuki?

"About time, do you not agree Izuna-sama?" Asuma was asking.

He pulled himself together. "Absolutely, Asuma-san."

Sumaru was smiling. Madara had never seen him smile. It was unnerving.

There would be no more sending messages to Karin. He would disable the mechanism. If Sumaru caught him communicating with the Akatsuki, he would be dead; the youngster would not hesitate for a moment.

The rules of the game may have changed but Madara was still playing to win.

* * *

_._

* * *

_Author's note_

_This is the end of the first half of the story. It has been hard work; more a labour of determination than love. I have decided that we will have an 'Interlude' next but do not fear; this will be an Interlude within the story rather than a rest from it. Chapters 49, 50 and 51 will be a bit different._

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...


	49. Interlude Part 1 - On the Renaissance

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, donalgraeme, angangang, superflaj, melissen, Whispering-Softly, JustSomeGuy, bookworm9407 and Miroku Kensei for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**A scene has been removed from this chapter and replaced by ooo*****ooo because it may be considered too graphic for this website.**

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**Leader**

**Interlude**

**49: Vignettes: On the Renaissance**

* * *

_Iruka_

Iruka made his way to one of the unused suites on the Renaissance, shut all the doors and screamed.

The last two divs had been horrific. Ran, his son, his child, had been lost and then captured. First there had been the dread that he was dead; gone forever. Then that had been replaced by the horror of knowing that he was in the hands of a capricious monster who caused pain for pleasure.

It would have been bad enough if it had just been Ran but there had been the other children: Haru, Kazuki, Kuuya and Yoshimi.

And there had been those awful days when he had thought that he had lost all of them: all the children, Sasuke, Naruto and so many others.

He had thought it would stop once he had held Ran; once every part of him had been assured that his son was safe.

Only it had not. Akemi and Rin were still lost. Shikamaru was a mess; emotionally shredded and in danger of drifting away into that internal universe that no one else could share. Neji; if Iruka did not know better he would think someone had brainwashed him while he was kidnapped. How could he abandon Shikamaru for a woman he barely knew? Sasuke was training for a to-the-death knife fight and, worse, Kakashi and Naruto were going to let him do it.

He looked at the ring on his duty finger. It stared back at him; a threat rather than a promise.

He hated Izuna Uchiha.

He stopped screaming; enough was enough.

He thought about getting a cup of water to soothe his aching throat but the water coming from a faucet in an unused suite would probably be stale and it would be wasteful to run it until fresh. Instead he closed up the suite and made his way back to the decks they were using.

The younger children were playing skittles along the viewing gallery. Shou and Tsuneo were utterly focused on the game. Takara and Mai were angling for the top spot in the newly reunited group. Teruko was solidly behind her sister. Naomi was slightly behind the action, as always.

Sumiko was stargazing, which was strange; maybe Neji's defection had affected her more than Shikamaru thought.

He thought about sitting next to Kiba on the bench but they would begin talking about the children and his throat was sore. Instead he bowed and smiled; maintaining his pace.

Kiba bowed in return. His dark eyes were watchful; Iruka knew that he, like Naruto, saw far more than he ever admitted.

He was heading to the room he shared with Kakashi but, driven by some instinct or a half-heard sound, he diverted to what Shikamaru called the service area.

It contained all the cleaning facilities and a large galley for food preparation but not consumption. Iruka sighed. Its mere existence illustrated how unsuitable the Renaissance was for a spacer crew, or any family.

Could he hear weeping?

By the time he had entered Haku was folding clothes; perfectly composed. It was a task that Iruka would have expected some of the older children to be doing.

"Would you come and have a cup of tea with me, Haku-san?" Iruka asked. "I would very much appreciate the company."

Haku finished folding one of Mai's dresses. "That would be most pleasant, Iruka-san."

Iruka suggested the guest suite where he and Kakashi were living and Haku concurred. Soon they were sitting in the delightful reception room sipping tea from china cups.

They discussed everyone other than Haku himself.

"And you, Haku-san?" Iruka asked, once the teapot had been emptied.

Haku did hesitate for a moment but then the reply Iruka had been anticipating came. "I am fine, Iruka-san. Thank you for enquiring."

Iruka doubted that. He would have to create an opportunity to speak with Itachi.

Haku took his leave, saying that he must pick up Mai and Shou. Iruka washed up the teapot and the cups, thinking about the abused boy whose throat Itachi had slashed, the cat who had twisted everyone round his little finger and the remarkable man Haku had become.

"Ir-chan? You there?"

It was Kakashi, sweaty from training Sasuke. He came up behind Iruka and threatened to hug him.

Iruka dodged. "Shower," he ordered. "You should have used the facilities linked to the gym. That is what they are for."

"Not organised enough," Kakashi explained. "It was easier to come back here." He looked at Iruka. "Is there anything wrong?"

What was right? Right was everyone safe, no one damaged by recent trauma and them all living on the Oak or in Tarrasade. "I am worried about Haku," he replied, but it could have been one of many names.

"Haku?" Kakashi queried. He frowned. "How bad do you think it was for him?"

"Bad, but he'll bury it and carry on." He sighed. "Hopefully Itachi will have enough time with him to help him through."

"I doubt that," Kakashi replied. "Itachi and Kisame will be off hunting Orochimaru. Haku will stay with the children."

Iruka did not reply. He was thinking about Haku's response when Ranmaru had been murdered.

"Maybe we should rethink that," Kakashi admitted. "There is an argument for putting people who are personally sworn to Sasuke in the household on Tarrasade. They have more freedom of action." He considered. "Izuna finds Kisame scary."

"That is sensible of him."

"No, it isn't. Kisame is a softy. Itachi is dangerous. Having Itachi in Tarrasade has its merits." Kakashi took advantage of him being distracted and hugged him.

"Kashi!" Iruka scolded.

Kakashi nuzzled his neck. "Now you're all sweaty and you'll have to shower with me."

"You are insatiable."

"As if you mind."

* * *

_Itachi_

The advantage of being on a luxury yacht like the Renaissance was that there were baths. There was a small one in their apartment but Itachi had booked the huge one the next deck down. He had even asked Naruto to take Mai and Shou for a sleepover.

Only at the last minute, when there was no time for discussion, Haku said he was too tired to accompany them and that he and Kisame should go alone.

"No," Itachi replied.

Haku paled a little. "Suit yourselves. I shall be going to bed early."

It was the latest in a succession of manoeuvres that Haku had used to avoid intimacy. "No," Itachi repeated. "The three of us are going to the bath because that was what we planned. If you are tired, we will only bathe for a short time. It will relax you and you will sleep better."

Haku looked to Kisame. "I do not want to go."

This was the moment that Kisame usually gave in and Itachi had to back down.

"Princess, I want you to come with us. It would make me very happy."

Haku's eyes widened. Itachi held his breath. It was their contract; they were both in the relationship to make Kisame happy.

"Very well," Haku conceded. "For a short time."

They changed in their rooms. Haku's robe was bound tightly around his body; his hair caught up in a turban. When they reached the bathroom, Itachi caught Kisame's eye and both of them made sure that they appeared occupied while Haku slid out of his robe and into the water.

Itachi already knew the position of every healing cut and fading bruise; they were seared into his memory.

The tub was deep and round, so although he and Haku were either side of Kisame, as usual, they were also within arms' reach of each other.

Kisame was relishing being in the water and while Haku was enjoying watching him, it was fine. Then memories intervened and Haku tensed; Itachi knew he was going to say he was tired and leave.

Itachi took his hand and lifted it so that it was above the water. Haku's wrist was exposed, along with the marks where a thin, cruelly-tight rope had cut through his skin.

He could see that Haku wanted to pull the hand away but that he knew that Itachi would not permit it.

"Do you know what I see?" Itachi asked.

Haku shook his head very slightly.

"I see a mark of honour. I see a mark that isn't on Yoshimi or Kuuya or Kazuki or Ran or Haru. It is not on one of the toad hybrid boys who were already so terrified. It is on you because you put yourself between them and a monster."

"I let him," Haku whispered. "I consented." His voice shook slightly. "I gave him what he wanted."

"You protected them," Itachi insisted. "You saved their innocence. You knew exactly what it would be like for them and you did everything you could to stop it. You behaved with honour. You should be proud of what you did."

Haku looked away.

"We are proud of what you did," Kisame added.

Haku looked up at him. "You are?"

"We are," Kisame confirmed.

"We are," Itachi echoed. He touched a healing bruise on Haku's arm. "Marks of honour." He leaned forward and kissed the ligature mark on his wrist. "Each and every one."

It worked. Haku sat in Kisame's lap in the bath and climbed from it into the robe that Itachi held for him. Once they were over the threshold of their apartment, Kisame was able to sweep him up, carry him into their room and lay him in the centre of the bed.

Maybe tonight Haku would manage to sleep there rather than wandering about the apartment and napping in chairs and on couches.

He was drifting away when his eyes opened. "Mai and Shou?"

"With the triplets, sleeping over," Itachi reminded him.

The expression on Haku's face was response enough.

"We shall go and get them," Kisame promised. "You rest and we will bring them to say goodnight."

It was Sasuke who answered Itachi's knock. He only opened the door partway and stood in the gap; a sure sign that Naruto was in no condition to receive visitors.

Even so, he understood that Haku needed Mai and Shou close. He escorted them inside, hovering between them and the door to what Itachi assumed was the bedroom he was sharing with Naruto.

All five children were sleeping. Kisame picked up Shou; Itachi gathered up Mai.

"We will get the rest of their things in the morning," Itachi whispered.

"Don't forget their plushies," Sasuke replied, abandoning his post to retrieve them. "Otherwise you'll only have to come back."

In truth, Mai and Shou were less attached than Sasuke's children to their furry toys, but Itachi accepted them with a small bow of gratitude.

Kisame's gaze went to something and Itachi followed his line of sight. Naruto stood in the doorway that Sasuke had been barring.

It was not a Naruto that Itachi recognised; he was soft, vulnerable and slightly confused to see strangers.

Sasuke hurried over. "It's fine, sweetie."

The look of adoration that Naruto gave in return stole Itachi's breath.

"Itachi and Kisame are just picking up Mai and Shou."

Naruto turned to Itachi and smiled his approval.

Itachi was stunned; transfixed.

"We must go," Kisame hinted.

Itachi was still reeling as they each carried a sleeping child to the deck above.

"Another of Naruto-san's triggered behaviours," Kisame observed. "The other side to the growling and howling we often hear."

Itachi had never seen the attraction of triggered behaviours. He had imagined that the growling and howling were a bit of an embarrassment and berserker behaviour was as dangerous to friends as to enemies.

This he understood. He imagined Haku looking at him with such adoration, or giving him a smile that carried so much love and approval.

It would never happen; at least not from Haku.

He looked sideways at Kisame and smiled.

Kisame smiled in return.

* * *

_Tsuneo_

When Tsuneo woke up Shou had gone. The bed To-chan had put up for him was still there, but Shou wasn't in it. Tsuneo had thought he had been dreaming about Kisame-san and Itachi-san but they must have come to get Shou.

He went to the head and then listened at Papa and To-chan's door. There weren't any noises, so he decided to go in.

They were still in bed and the room smelt of special cuddles. Tsuneo didn't mind. He found his way under the covers and wriggled up between them.

Papa groaned and turned over. It looked like one of those mornings when he would sleep late. Tsuneo snuggled close to To-chan, who opened his eyes, smiled and kissed the top of his head.

They had a shower together, which was fun. They sang and danced under the spray with Tsuneo trying to move like To-chan.

Then To-chan pretended not to notice that he hadn't dried his hair so that he could wake Ta-chan and Te-chan by shaking it over them.

They didn't say anything Mai not being there; maybe they were pleased.

Breakfast was fun. They went to the big galley so Papa could sleep. Kazuki and Kuuya were there and they promised to take Tsuneo to the gym later to play Toss.

Then it was off to find Kiba-san.

He decided not to tell Kiba-san about the game of Toss. Instead he tried hard and didn't complain about doing stuff he didn't like. That way Kiba-san would say yes when his brothers came to get him.

It should work, specially if Ka-chan asked. Kiba-san had a soft spot for Kazuki.

When it came to it, Kiba-san only asked one question. "Do you promise to do it over a crash mat?"

He always said that since Kei-chan had mistimed a throw and Tsuneo had cracked his head on the floor.

"We promise, Kiba-san," Kuu-chan assured him.

It was fun; Tsuneo loved soaring through the air and there wasn't a trampoline on the Renaissance.

Then it was back to Kiba-san for more lessons pretending to be games. Sumiko was in a mood. Sumiko was usually moody but it was worse since she had lost her secret friend that Tsuneo wasn't meant to know about.

Tsuneo imagined losing Shou. He wouldn't like that. It had been bad enough leaving Nagato in Tarrasade.

Shi-chan came to their midday meal. He did that when Sumiko was moody or when he needed cheering up. Sometimes it was both.

Tsuneo made it his job to get Shi-chan to smile. Today it was hard. He was very sad and his eyes were a long way away. Tsuneo had to get the others to join in and they all ended up playing a make-believe game on the long viewing deck.

He got to play the baddy and Shou was his sidekick.

It was even more fun than Toss.

Papa and To-chan were there for the last part. Tsuneo put extra bits into the death scene, including coming back to life and then dying again.

Everyone clapped lots, even Papa.

Today they were having their evemeal on their own. Tsuneo didn't mind eating with the adults but it did mean being extra good for ages so that Papa would be proud of him. It was much quicker when they had early evemeal.

Then they had baths. To-chan had the three of them in the tub together. He pulled Teruko's hair and Takara pinched him.

To-chan told them both off.

Tsuneo guessed he deserved it.

Papa played for them. He sang Tsuneo's favourite song and his second favourite. Then To-chan tucked them into their beds while Papa played pretty music without words.

He drifted off into sleep with To-chan stroking his hair.

* * *

_Neji_

Choosing Hinata over Shikamaru was not the type of decision you could go back on. When Neji was with Hinata he did not want to. He felt good when they were in each other's company. They fitted. It was as if they had always belonged together.

It would have been easier on Hinata If they had been able to go away and start afresh. They could not because he was sworn to Uchiha.

He did not want to because he was part of this crew; a member of this family. He would carve out a new niche for him and Hinata.

He knew that Hinata was trying but it was hard for her. By nature she was shy and the dynamics of the crew were foreign to her. It did not help that in Hyuga society women socialised with other women. The only woman on the Renaissance was Shizune, who was as reserved as Hinata herself.

It would be easier in the household, where life was more ordered. The Renaissance's accommodation was a poor fit and the flow of personnel between the ships was so great that watches and rosters changed from one day to the next.

Hinata had responded by building them their own little world in the smallest of the guest apartments. It was lovely, but it did not help her integrate with the crew.

So this afternoon Neji had suggested a walk around the ship, including the long viewing gallery.

He had not expected Shikamaru to be there. He was playing with the younger children; leading one of his interactive stories. There was a moment when they could have smiled, turned and walked away. It would have looked as if they did not want to interrupt the game.

Only Hinata stopped him. There was a bench that far enough away for them to watch without imposing. She sat on it and he had no choice but to sit down beside her.

He knew she was studying Shikamaru and was unable to stop himself following her example.

Like the children he was living the story. No, that was not it. He was giving the story life so that they could live it.

"It's like seeing a completely different person," Hinata whispered.

Not to Neji; to Neji this Shikamaru was achingly familiar. "His mind is vast," he reminded her. "He can only display parts of it at a time. Most of it never gets expressed in his interactions with others."

She shivered.

Neji's heart sank. He wanted Hinata to see Shikamaru as a person rather than a phenomenon.

Perhaps he would have said more but, at that moment, Sasuke and Naruto arrived. Sasuke acknowledged them both. Naruto bowed to Hinata but gave Neji only the slightest of nods.

They moved on to sit on the bench closest to the action.

"Does Naruto-san not know that Shikamaru-san released you?" Hinata asked.

Neji hoped that Naruto was not listening. He certainly could hear from that distance but he seemed enthralled by the children's interpretation of the story. "He knows. He worries about Shika. They are very close."

Hinata took his hand. She probably meant it as a comfort but, at that moment, he wished that he had never met her again.

Only, if he had not, he would be dead or imprisoned on Hyuga; he owed her so much.

His eyes went to Shikamaru, whom he also owed.

Hinata squeezed his hand. He looked to her and gave a small smile of reassurance. It would work out; it had to. Shikamaru continued to be his friend. He had Sasuke's support. Hopefully Hinata would get over her aversion to socialising with men.

"Shall we go back to the apartment?" he asked.

She smiled back and nodded.

* * *

_Naruto_

Naruto had been surprised to see Neji and Hinata at one end of the long galley, watching the children with Shi-chan.

They didn't stay to see the end of the story. They missed Tsu-chan's spectacular death scene.

He kept going back to the memory of them sitting on the bench. It was still bothering him at the end of the day when he and Sasuke had retreated to their room for some time alone.

Sasuke was sorting clothes. He was cleaning the shower. It was weird being in guest quarters; no matter how he and Sasuke organised things, it never felt right.

He still had to decide if he would talk to Neji. Sasuke thought that there was nothing to gain from it and Naruto was on the edge of conceding that he might be right.

The problem was that Neji did owe Hinata. She had given up her whole way of life to save him. If she wanted Neji's companionship, perhaps it was right that he should give it to her. Even if it meant Shi-chan was alone and lonely.

His whiskers twitched. Something told him it wasn't that simple. It didn't fit that Neji had fucked her so quickly. Neji wasn't like that. He took things slowly. Then there was Hinata herself. It was like there was three of her. There was the 'I adore you and would be lost without you' Hinata that only appeared when Neji was there. Then there was the 'I am a thousand light minutes away and this is just an automated hologram' Hinata that spoke to other adult members of the crew and did duties.

Finally there was the rather nice but reserved and quiet Hinata that he occasionally saw with the children, particularly Hoshi and Ayame.

Only one of the three Hinatas smelled right; the third.

Which could mean that the 'I adore you and would be lost without you' Hinata was an act, which was a very worrying thought.

He sighed. There was nothing he could do. If he said anything both Shi-chan and Sasuke would think it was because he was cross with Neji, which he was.

He would watch and wait. Maybe the real Hinata would fall in love with Neji, which would solve that part of the problem.

But not the Shi-chan part. When Shi-chan was alone he fell for inappropriate people who hurt him; people like Izuna. Before Neji there had been Rin and, before Naruto and Sasuke had joined the crew, he had been in love with Kakashi. Even Neji had started off a bit like that; so damaged that he was incapable of a physical relationship.

Maybe he was being hard on Neji. Neji had looked after Shi-chan for twelve standards.

Trouble was, there wasn't anyone. Kakashi had Iruka. Sasuke had him. Rin, even if she wasn't missing and didn't have Dan, had never been suitable because she was scared of what was inside Shi-chan's head. Itachi loved Kisame and was utterly committed to the family Haku had built for them. Inari was too cautious and Tayuya would never allow anyone to take him away from her.

Klennethon Darrent was dead, which was probably a good thing because Shi-chan could definitely have loved him and he had certainly loved Shi-chan.

Maybe Garner Parrad was suitable. He had loved Klennethon Darrent, so he shouldn't find Shi-chan intimidating. Problem was, he was still grieving.

Naruto put Garner Parrad on his mental list; one name was better than none.

Inryoku was worth thinking about but Enerugi was in love with Tatsuji, which would complicate things. He put 'Inryoku' under 'Garner Parrad'.

Then he thought of Konan and the fur on the back of his neck stood up. Konan liked Shi-chan. Shi-chan liked Konan. Nagato-chan liked Shi-chan almost as much as he liked Sasuke. He could imagine Hana accepting Shi-chan into Konan's life. Konan would be good with Sumiko.

Against it was the fact that Konan was still faithful to Pein, even if she had not seen him for six standards. Naruto smiled. Pein was named in the vendetta. Either they would confirm that he was dead or they would hunt him down and kill him.

He hoped it was the former. Otherwise Konan might resent them.

Even so, 'Konan' went above 'Garner Parrad' on the list.

"Dobe?"

Naruto immediately focused on Sasuke and smiled.

"What were you thinking about?" Sasuke asked.

"The crew," Naruto replied, which was true. "Being broken up and all over the place isn't good. We need to think about it more carefully."

Sasuke smiled. "Kakashi said the same to me this morning. I think Iruka has been talking to him."

Naruto finished rinsing the floor and packed away all the cleaning materials. "Why don't you do the rounds of the big litter while I check the triplets?"

Sasuke hesitated.

"Other way around?" Naruto asked.

"We could do both together," Sasuke suggested.

Breaking the pattern disconcerted the kits. They stopped what they were doing and were uncharacteristically well-behaved. Naruto could imagine them turning over all their small misdeeds; trying to think of something that merited both their parents checking up on them rather than one.

Haru was already asleep; it was amazing what that boy could sleep through.

Naruto's eyes went from Haru to Ryuu. No one who did not know them would guess that they were the same age; there could be five standards between them.

His eyes went to Sasuke, wondering if he was thinking the same. Probably not, as Sasuke was pretty determined not to face up to the fact that his hybrids sons were well on their way to being men.

They looked in on Yasushi and Yoshimi and then Hoshi and Yuki.

"Papa?" Yuki asked as they were about to leave.

Sasuke stopped. "Yes Yuki-chan?"

Yuki glanced at Hoshi, who gave him one of her 'go for it' looks.

"Can I have a cosmetic treatment?"

Sasuke blinked. He looked to Naruto.

Naruto had no intention of bailing him out.

"It would depend what it was, Yu-chan," Sasuke replied.

"I would like to have long hair," Yuki told them.

Naruto was not surprised. Yuki had always loved experimenting with Hoshi's hair.

Sasuke sat down on Yuki's bed and patted the mattress beside him. Yuki settled beside him.

"I think your hair is beautiful," Sasuke told him. "Just like I think your To-chan's hair is beautiful."

"Thank you, Papa," Yuki replied. "I just want to try it long. Shizune-san says that it would be easy. Lots of people have it done. She can programme my nanobots. It wouldn't be permanent. If the nanobots stopped working on the follicles, they would go back to making shorter hairs."

"I cannot see the harm in trying, as long as you are doing it for yourself and you understand that you are just as beautiful with shorter hair," Sasuke decided. "Naruto?"

"I think it would be an interesting experiment," Naruto confirmed.

Yuki hugged Sasuke. "Thank you, Papa."

"You are welcome, Yu-chan."

They made their way back to their apartment. Beside the outer door was a basketful of neatly folded children's clothes. Naruto wondered who had delivered them; no one should be doing non-urgent duties at this time in the evening.

It did, however, give him an idea. He picked it up, took it through to their shared area and placed it on the low table.

Next they checked the triplets, who were fast asleep. They crept from the room and shut the door.

"Early night?" Naruto suggested with a smile. One of the advantages of the Renaissance was that it was remarkably well soundproofed.

Sasuke smiled back but his eyes went to the basket of clothes, exactly as Naruto had anticipated. "I'll just put these away."

It meant he was on the bed, ready and waiting, by the time Sasuke slid the door shut behind him.

"I was thinking," Naruto told him with a raspy purr. "It is a long time since you stripped for me."

Sasuke looked at him and Naruto wondered if he would go for it.

"Do I get to clean my teeth and use the head first?" Sasuke asked in his normal voice.

For a moment Naruto regretted using the clothes as a delaying tactic; putting laundry away wasn't very sexy. Then he smelled the change in Sasuke's scent and smiled.

"I can wait," he replied. "Don't be too long."

After what seemed like forever, the door to the head half-opened and Sasuke slid through the gap, He was humming and moving to the beat. His dark eyes smouldered.

His shirt went first and Naruto found himself focused on the changes to Sasuke's musculature. It made him think of the purpose behind all the intensive training. The day might come when he would have to watch Sasuke in a fight to the death. Somehow he would have to stand there because Sasuke would be fighting for everything they held dear and by interfering Naruto would destroy it as surely as if Izuna slit Sasuke's throat.

Even the thought of that made him tremble.

"Dobe?" Sasuke had stopped dancing. Instead he was heading toward the bed.

Naruto waved him back. "Just a bad thought. Chase it away. I know you can do it if you try."

So Sasuke stripped for him, his body swaying and turning to the music he hummed. The way he looked and moved and sounded and smelled made Naruto growl with desire. When Sasuke moved toward him, his control almost broke.

Instead he held himself, whimpering slightly, as Sasuke's hands moved over his skin, massaging him, lulling his desire to possess.

**ooo*****ooo**

Naruto's eyes were riveted to Sasuke face.

There it was; that amazing moment of utter abandonment that only he would ever see.

* * *

...


	50. Interlude Part 2 - In Tarrasade

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, donalgraeme, angangang, Whispering-Softly, JustSomeGuy, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, superflaj, melissen and Sunshine 2400 for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Interlude**

**50: Vignettes: In Tarrasade**

* * *

_Konohamaru_

Konohamaru stared at the image of Sasuke's face, which had frozen as the message ended. Did he want to leave Tarrasade? Two divs ago the answer would have been no.

Now it was different; Biwako-san had chosen to leave this life fifty-five days ago.

He missed her. Her death had thrown him back into loneliness and grief he had thought behind him. He could not even see his grandfather without resentment creeping in because Hiruzen-sama's age retard was still holding while Obaa-chan's had not.

A change would help. For a while he had imagined that Sasuke, Naruto and the children would come home. Now he knew that would not happen. If Sasuke set foot in Tarrasade, Izuna would challenge him for the leadership.

Konohamaru had watched Izuna train. Sasuke would lose.

He imagined Uchiha under Izuna and shuddered. Izuna treated women as inferiors and thought hybrids inhuman. He intended to build a strict hierarchy with him at the top.

Most of those Sasuke had recruited or raised would not belong in Izuna's Uchiha.

There would be a place for him; Konohamaru knew that. Izuna had made it clear that he saw Konohamaru occupying as high a position as would be possible for someone who was not a full blood Uchiha.

But there would be no place for Kamatari. Moegi would be condemned to a lowly position because of her gender and her association with Udon. Lady knew what Izuna would do with the kits and Ryuu; probably expel them from the clan to fend for themselves.

No, Sasuke had to stay away.

He would have been more enthusiastic about leaving if Sasuke had suggested that he join one of the ships pursuing the vendetta. He could have served on Inari's ship. That was what they had always imagined: Inari as captain; Tayuya as pilot; him in charge of communications.

Sasuke was not offering that. He was proposing a trip to the new base. He wanted Konohamaru to be the chief negotiator with the toad hybrids.

In many ways it was a fantastic opportunity. How many people got to help a rediscovered planet integrate?

So why was he so reluctant to go?

He switched off the projector. It was time for his daily foray into Izuna's territory.

Konohamaru never missed a day. It was important that he walked that floor of Uchiha headquarters as if he belonged there. He made sure he greeted each guard by name. He chatted with Sakura and even managed to initiate the occasional light-hearted exchange with Ino.

He knew Sumaru looked forward to each visit; Konohamaru could see it in his eyes.

Today he lucked out and met Ino as he walked towards Izuna's office.

"Ino-san," he acknowledged with a bow.

"Konohamaru-san," she replied and waited.

He smiled. This particular exchange always went the same way. He invited her to the evemeal in the household and she politely refused. "Please do us the honour of joining us for our evemeal. Would this evening be possible?"

"Thank you, Konohamaru-san. That would be most pleasant.I accept."

He almost gawped at her but managed to pull himself together. "I look forward to it, Ino-san."

She slowed. "Our ways part here, Konohamaru-san, I shall see you this evening."

He watched her walk away down one of the long corridors. She fascinated him. Part of him wished he found her sexually attractive so that he could have the challenge of pursuing her.

She did look like her father. Not that Konohamaru would ever mention it, just as he would never openly acknowledge Asuma as his uncle.

He wondered why she had accepted this invitation after turning down all those before it.

Izuna kept him waiting, as always. Konohamaru filled the time by talking to Sumaru, who was in a good enough mood to interject the occasional response. Konohamaru decided to push his luck.

"Have you asked one of them out yet?" he asked.

Sumaru looked at him as if he hadn't a clue about what Konohamaru meant, which was probably the case.

"Sakura-san or Ino-san. Have you asked one of them to accompany you on a social engagement?"

To Konohamaru's delight Sumaru flushed, which was as adorable as it was unexpected.

"It would be inappropriate," he muttered.

Any further teasing had to wait because Sakura put her head around the door.

"Izuna-sama will see you now, Konohamaru-san."

"On my way, Sakura-san," he replied.

Once he was through the door he saw that Sakura had tea prepared.

"I'll take that," he said, claiming the tray before Sakura could stop him. "You get the door."

He knew that being nice to the hired help annoyed Izuna. Pouring tea was even better because it reminded Izuna of Sasuke.

"Izuna-sama," he acknowledged as he entered. He placed the tray in its usual place and then bowed.

"Konohamaru-san," Izuna replied, trying but failing not to look annoyed.

"Please allow me the honour of serving you tea, Izuna-sama."

He could see Izuna trying and failing to come up with a way of stopping him that did not sound ungracious.

"That would be appreciated, Konohamaru-san," he replied, as always.

They exchanged news, each only telling the other what he wanted him to know; Konohamaru learned more from the information Shikamaru sent him.

The meeting was even briefer than usual. Izuna stood and had taken a step towards the door before Konohamaru could put his cup down.

"Please tell Asuma-san that I will not be at the meal this evening. I have an engagement."

Konohamaru stood and bowed. "I shall convey your message."

It was only when he was walking back along the corridor that he made the connection. Ino had agreed to come to the evemeal because she had known that Izuna would not be present.

* * *

_Choza_

Choza was suspicious as soon as he saw Konohamaru at the kitchen door. Although Kamatari would occasionally drop in during the day with a message, Konohamaru very rarely came himself.

"Kono-san," he acknowledged, continuing to chop vegetables.

"Choza-san. Izuna-sama asked me to tell you that he will not be at today's evemeal, which means that Sumaru won't be there either."

Choza made a mental note to set some food side for Sumaru; he never got to eat when Izuna had an evening engagement. "I'll pass the word," Choza promised.

Konohamaru grinned. "And make lots of extra food because everyone's excuses for not being here will vanish as if by magic."

It was true but better not said; Choza remembered Uchiha under Fugaku-kyou.

"I am bringing a guest," Konohamaru warned him.

"Udon-san?" he queried.

"No, although Moegi might if she knows the coast is clear. Ino-san. She finally accepted."

The knife slipped. Luckily it caught the end of a nail rather than a finger.

"Is that all right?" Konohamaru asked anxiously.

"Of course it is," Choza assured him. "She is very welcome."

Choza had known she was Inoichi's daughter as soon as he had spotted her at Izuna's side in a news vid. Once he was over the shock it made sense. The only mystery was how one of the whores Inoichi had fucked had ended up pregnant; they were usually so careful.

He hoped that Inoichi hadn't been selfish enough to fuck a non-professional.

Konohamaru had barely left when Asuma was at the door.

"I am fine," Choza assured him.

Asuma came in, took an apple from the bowl on the counter and sat at the table. "You sure?"

"About the girl? Yes. I am glad that she exists." He thought about the assured young woman at Izuna's side. "She must be very successful to have landed the job with Izuna-sama."

"She was raised by the Sisterhood," Asuma replied, taking a bite from his apple.

That told Choza everything he needed to know. It had been old Uchiha's way of dealing with unplanned offspring: males were raised as elite fighters; females were given to the sisterhood. Inoichi would not have been informed of her existence.

The girl's mother must have had guts to face Fugaku-kyou.

"Something is worrying you other than the girl," Asuma observed.

Choza sighed. "It looks like Kiba is going to stay with the children in the new space station." He found himself blinking back tears; it had to be the onions. "I understand. He missed them so much when he was here and they were on the Oak."

Asuma had finished his apple; he came over to put the core into the recycle and paused to pat Choza on the shoulder. "You should go to him. I know Sasuke-sama has suggested it."

"But what about you? And everyone else here? Who would cook for you?"

"Cho-chan, we would miss you but we would cope. Truth is, the new space station is going to be the main household for the foreseeable future. You belong there, looking after them."

Choza was not sure. He wanted to be with Kiba but he did not want to leave Asuma. Akemi being missing had hit his old friend hard. It had reminded him of the hole Kurenai's death had left in his life. It had distanced him from Tenten.

Keitaro was due to leave in a few days' time, outward bound to serve in Inari's crew.

"Cho-chan?" Asuma pressed.

"I'll think about it," Choza evaded.

* * *

_Ino_

Ino checked her appearance. Everything was suitably groomed and perfectly placed. Even Sister Miroku would not have found fault.

She put on her second best coat: the dark one that covered her from her neck to her wrists and her knees; the one that hinted at the curves beneath rather than displaying them.

One of the advantages of her job was that she had enough credit to buy good-quality clothes and accessories.

She set out towards the Tube.

Agreeing to share a meal in Sasuke Uchiha's household was a step she had decided on many divs before. Now it was here she found herself surprisingly nervous.

That would not do. She estimated the time between the door of her apartment and the Tube, chose a mantra and recited it.

It calmed her and she found it pleasing that she reached the last word within five steps of her destination.

She usually used the Tube to travel from Level 4 to Level 1 so it was not unexpected that the JSF operative greeted her by name. What was different was that she had a car to herself and the operative assured her than the fee would be charged to the Uchiha household.

Konohamaru-san was waiting to greet her when the door opened. He bowed. "Ino-san."

"Konohamaru-san," she acknowledged and then walked with him to the right rather than taking the path she usually took towards Uchiha Headquarters.

They passed two checkpoints each manned by two members of the USF. Konohamaru knew their names and greeted them, as he did when in the Uchiha Headquarters.

It was nice or clever or possibly both.

So far she had met six members of Uchiha. Konohamaru was like Asuma, with whom he shared some elements of his appearance, movement and manner; Ino would not be surprised to learn that they were related.

She found Kamatari, Konohamaru's assistant, harder to read. Firstly, he was a hybrid. Secondly, his friendly and humorous behaviour gave the impression that he was harmless and yet he was obviously Konohamaru's bodyguard.

Then there was Sumaru, whom she found disturbing. After much consideration she had decided that looking at him was like using some strange mirror. The mirror changed surface characteristics, like gender and appearance, but nothing essential.

He called himself a Knife. She had been a Sister.

Finally there was her boss, Izuna Uchiha, who thought very greatly of himself. Perhaps that was justified. He was a legend: the founder of the Uchiha clan; the hero of countless songs and sagas; the man who had risen from the dead after a thousand standards.

Time to pay attention; they had reached the entrance to the Uchiha household.

"Please excuse us using the family entrance, Ino-san," Konohamaru told her. "We do not use the main doors except on special occasions."

It contrasted sharply with Izuna-sama, who expected every word and movement to reinforce the difference in status between him and others.

Konohamaru took her coat and gave a small smile of appreciation as he saw what she was wearing.

"Should I take off my shoes?" she asked, mindful of the roots of the Uchiha clan.

"No," Konohamaru answered. "That is one advantage of living in a space station. It is all indoors." He looked down at her shoes. "Anyway, it would be a shame to detract from your outfit."

Ino knew what the high, slim heels did to her legs, particularly when she wore stockings and a fitted dress. "Why thank you, Konohamaru-san," she replied and studied his reaction. It was as she had anticipated; he was definitely uninterested in women.

The household was beautiful. It looked exactly as it should given that it had been occupied by a single family for a thousand standards. She imagined each generation lovingly maintaining it while modifying it to their needs and adding their mark.

It reminded her of the Seminary.

Nothing else about the occasion was as she expected. They ate in the kitchen around a big table. Asuma sat at the head of the table, but otherwise there was little ceremony and much laughter. There was even a child there, Konan's son Nagato, and the other guest was Udon, the ex-Scavenger who ran the hospice in Sublevel C and whose very existence offended Izuna.

It made her even more aware that Izuna did not fit into the modern Uchiha.

Once the meal was over, people left the table in ones and twos. Konan and Hana took Nagato off to bed. Keitaro and Kamatari were on watch. Moegi and Udon excused themselves, followed by Asuma and Tenten. Konohamaru started to clear the table and load the dish cleaner.

"Can I help?" Ino asked beginning to get up.

Konohamaru gestured her back to the table. "You talk to Choza-san. This won't take me long."

"Sasuke-sama believes that all simple tasks in the household should be shared by all," Choza told her.

Ino could not imagine Izuna concurring with that.

She focused on Choza. It would be easy to stereotype him as a fat, jolly cook but she knew better. Behind the eye-patch lurked an elite fighter's implant. He might have retired but he had not fully moved on or he would have had replaced it with a flesh and blood eye.

Not that he wasn't a truly superb cook; Ino had eaten more in a single meal than she usually did over three days.

"Why don't you show Ino around why I finish this?" Konohamaru suggested. "Maybe the Hall?"

Choza hesitated.

"Asuma-san suggested it," Konohamaru added. "I'll catch up with you there."

It was interesting; a window into how Sasuke Uchiha had built bridges between Uchiha's past, the present and the future he wanted for it.

Then, suddenly, an older, one-eyed, male version of her face was looking out from the wall.

She froze her expression and her body language before she could lose control of either. The image was confirmation of what she had suspected since Most Senior Sister had told her who had paid for her education and keep.

She was an elite fighter's by-blow.

"This is the memorial to those we have lost since the founding of new Uchiha," Choza said softly.

So he was dead. In a way she was relieved. "Why is this one separate?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"He gave his life to save over a thousand defenceless adults and children. It was a heroic act."

The trained, logical part of her mind noted that Choza had not said that the man was heroic, only the act. "Did you know him?" she asked.

"Yes. We were raised together. We were close for many standards. He wasn't a perfect person, but who is? When I look at this, I remember that he did one great thing." He turned to her and smiled. "Now I know he did two."

Ino felt herself flush, which would have earned her a beating from any Older Sister who had seen it. Choza had resumed walking. The conversation was obviously over and, given old Uchiha's policy of never recognising a child's parentage, it was far more than Ino could have expected.

She caught up.

"Still no sigh of Kono-san," Choza observed. "Let's head back to the kitchen."

It turned out that Konohamaru had been detained. Sumaru was sitting at the table and Konohamaru was serving him food.

Sumaru had taken off his jacket. His mesh undershirt hid none of his magnificent musculature. He stood and bowed. "Ino-san."

"Sumaru-san," she replied. "Please sit down and continue with your meal. I know how delicious it is," she added, smiling at Choza.

"It is kind of you to say so, Ino-san," Choza acknowledged. "Can I interest you in a cup of coffee? Or tea?"

It was tempting, if for no other reason than to observe Sumaru on his home territory. "No thank you, Choza-san. It has been a long day."

Once home in her tiny apartment, she took off her shoes and each garment in turn. Each item was examined carefully. A burr on the edge of the heel of one shoe was trimmed away and the cut edge smoothed. The silk stockings were carefully washed and hung to dry. A pulled thread on the sheath dress was caught with a tiny hook and pulled through to the back of the fabric.

Each object was put in its place in her closet.

She washed thoroughly, loosened her hair from its chignon and brushed it; ten strokes for each section.

Then, finally ready, she opened the shrine.

Each Sister picked a focus. Ino's was a reproduction of a statue. The original was carved in black marble, life-sized and in the garden outside the Institute of Psychology on Centre One. It showed a naked man whose body suggested serene beauty but whose expression hinted at internal torment.

The Sisterhood had a holographic reproduction in one of the cloisters at Seminary.

Ino's version was the size of her hand and made of polished resin. It did not matter. It served its purpose.

She systematically cleared her mind. Then she waited for the first thoughts.

Izuna the great leader; hero and legend. Izuna the man she knew. The two jarred. It did not fit.

She waited. There was nothing else. No thoughts of her father or any of those she had met for the first time today.

She stepped forward and closed the shrine. She would think on it.

* * *

_Sumaru_

Seeing Ino in the kitchen had been a shock. Sumaru had not known that she had been invited to the evemeal. She looked different; slightly softer.

Maybe it was her clothes or the way she had her hair.

He was relieved when she left. He sat down and resumed eating.

"Nice looking girl," Choza commented from over by the counter.

The fork froze halfway to his mouth. Sumaru looked across. Choza had a bottle of whisky in one hand and three small cups in the other.

Three; that meant he was expected Konohamaru to come back after escorting Ino out.

"Is she as nice as she seems?" Choza asked.

Sumaru did not know how to approach the question. Ino was not nice, at least not in the way Choza used the word. "She was a Sister," he replied.

Choza shrugged and sat down at the table. "I was an elite fighter, you are a Knife. New Uchiha is about embracing difference."

Sumaru conceded the point. "She has many qualities."

"So you like her."

It was a ridiculous suggestion. She had been a Sister. "Choza-san, the Sisterhood is a cult of assassins."

Choza waved a hand. "Nonsense. Rumours. You know what people are like. They are a religious group that raises and educates orphaned girls. They do a lot of good."

They certainly killed a lot of people who deserved to die. The Sisterhood did not kill for credit. They charged a flat fee and expenses but the client had to convince a Senior Sister that the target deserved death.

Occasionally they waived the fee, particularly if the target was a man who abused women or children.

Choza filled the three cups. "You are twenty-six, Sumaru-chan. You do not have a lover. You refuse to visit courtesans. It is not healthy."

Sumaru ate more quickly. If he finished before Konohamaru returned he might have a chance.

"Whisky?" Konohamaru's voice asked from the doorway. "What a wonderful idea."

His plate was still one-third full. He was trapped.

Saying no to Konohamaru was always unbelievably difficult. Sometimes Sumaru thought it was because they had been adolescents together but it was probably because Konohamaru was such a skilled negotiator. Before long Sumaru had downed five shots of whisky and was losing control of his tongue.

"I'll leave you youngsters to it," Choza said with a smile, putting the empty bottle into the recycle and then closing the door behind him.

"I am not going to fuck Ino," Sumaru stated once Choza was out of earshot, hoping that a bald statement would kill the subject.

Konohamaru gave him that understanding little smile. "She is a bit scary."

Sumaru felt himself bridle and almost fell for it but he wasn't that drunk. He tried another tack. "She is not Uchiha."

"Misora? She is due back here to replace Keitaro."

There were so many things wrong with that idea that Sumaru was spoilt for choice. "She dislikes me."

"She does not understand you," Konohamaru conceded. "You do want someone, then?"

Sumaru belatedly realised his error. He decided to appeal to their friendship. "I wish you would leave it."

Instead Konohamaru pushed harder. "Tayuya is with Inari. Building your future on the off-chance he dies is not a sensible strategy."

Unfamiliar emotions churned around Sumaru's body: anger, jealousy, frustration and shame. "I do not wish Inari dead."

"No, but you covet his lover."

"Tayuya made her choice a long time ago," Sumaru insisted.

"Exactly," Konohamaru pointed out.

There followed a silence that Sumaru chose not to fill but Konohamaru finally broke.

"I will be leaving Tarrasade for a while. Itachi will be filling in for me with Asuma's assistance. Kamatari will stay for a while longer to ensure a smooth transition."

Sumaru was surprised; he had thought that Konohamaru was a permanent fixture in Tarrasade.

"I won't be around to look out for you," Konohamaru added.

He was about to say that it was not necessary but Konohamaru did not give him a chance.

"So I will ask Haku to do it for me."

Sumaru stiffened. "I wish you would not."

Konohamaru shrugged. "It could be worse. It could be Iruka-san." He got up and collected the three cups. "I know you; you'll be gone as soon as I turn my back to wash these up. Sleep well."

For a few moments Sumaru thought about staying at the table to prove him wrong. Then he realised that it was yet another of Konohamaru's tricks for getting him to stay.

He made his way to his room and his bed.

Sleep came slowly. What if Sasuke stayed away indefinitely? Sumaru imagined standard after standard of being Izuna's bodyguard; since Sakura and Ino had arrived that was all that Izuna expected of him.

Izuna did not even need a bodyguard when he was within headquarters. Sumaru was little more than a status symbol.

He had spent the last fourteen standards making himself Sasuke Uchiha's best Knife and he was; he could even defeat Naruto. When Sasuke had made him Izuna's bodyguard it had been an honour; an acknowledgement of his skill. Sumaru had been pleased.

Now even that memory had soured.

* * *

_Sakura_

Sakura did not know how Ino and Sumaru were not screaming with frustration. Sumaru was the best purebred fighter in known space; maybe the best outright. Ino had spent her life training to be a Sister. Now they were mere accessories; there to remind others of Izuna Uchiha's importance.

They did not even have everyday tasks to perform; Izuna-sama allotted them all to Sakura.

On balance, Sakura thought it must be worse for Ino. At least Sumaru had a purpose. If someone attacked or challenged, he would kill them.

Maybe Ino was spying for someone else; like she worked for Chaaruzu-san. Perhaps Sumaru reported to Sasuke Uchiha.

She suppressed a sigh. She had hoped that Izuna-sama might have been like Sasuke-sama. She recalled sitting beside him on the couch as he showed her the pictures of his children.

It was hard to believe that Izuna Uchiha had ever had children.

This morning was particularly bad. Both Ino and Sumaru had their expressions fixed in a neutral expression that looked natural in passing but never changed.

She wondered if they were excruciatingly bored or just thinking.

"Tea or coffee?" she queried brightly.

Ino switched into 'be nice to frivolous female colleague' mode. "Tea would be lovely Sakura-san, thank you."

Sumaru gave a small bow. "Coffee would be appreciated, Sakura-san."

Sumaru rarely accepted and Sakura had never known him to drink coffee. She studied him more closely while appearing to be occupied and decided that he looked a little weary.

She decided that being particularly cheerful might yield a reaction and smiled brightly as he thanked her for the coffee.

"You are welcome, Sumaru-san. As neither Ino-san nor I were with Izuna-sama yesterday evening, would it be possible for you to update the database of contacts?"

He frowned slightly. "I cannot, Sakura-san. Izuna-sama ordered me not to."

Sakura hoped that her interest had not shown. In case it had, she smiled. "An assignation. How romantic."

Both Sumaru and Ino looked at her as if she was insane.

It was a full morning. Sakura served two rounds of refreshments, listened to Izuna's ideas for the next episode of his history programme, updated the database of contacts and archived the previous day of his diary.

She suspected that 'archiving' sent a copy of the diary and the database to Chaaruzu-san, although she was not sure how.

She had just finished when Ino sat on the edge of her desk.

Ino did not sit on edges of desks.

"Come out with me for the midmeal," she proposed. "I have asked Izuna-sama if I can move my break and Sumaru-san has agreed to cover."

Sakura was careful to react as Izuna Uchiha's personal assistant rather than as Tennyo Three. "Girls together? That would be lovely, Ino-san."

Sakura kept up a constant barrage of chatter, peppered with complements about Ino's appearance, elegance, demeanour and sense of style.

The astonishing thing was that Ino responded in kind. It was a side of her that Sakura had not suspected existed. Maybe they had more in common than she had thought.

Then, suddenly, Sakura realised that everything Ino was doing was modelled on her own behaviour. It wasn't a copy; that would be too obvious; everything was given a little twist to make it more believable.

It was an astonishing display of skill.

Then, suddenly, Ino took charge of the conversation. "Why did you decide to apply for the post as Izuna-sama's assistant?"

Sakura surprised herself by being slightly shocked; spacers did not ask each other such direct questions. She had to remind herself that Ino was not a spacer. Luckily, it was easy to slip into the explanation she had prepared.

"I happened to be working in the Warren when there was that trouble between the AHB and the Kaiju. I thought what Uchiha did there was remarkable, saving so many lives, so when the agency contacted me about this position, I jumped at it." She could see that Ino was still unconvinced. "To be honest, when I was young I was one of those silly girls who mooned over Sasuke Uchiha. It isn't often that a poster on a wall turns out to be someone you can admire when you grow up."

Ino appeared to accept that, which was a relief.

"And you?" Sakura asked.

"The Sisterhood and the Uchiha clan go back a long way," Ino replied. "When I decided the Sisterhood was not for me, Asuma-san was kind enough to forward my details to Izuna-sama for consideration." She paused and looked at the chronometer on the wall of the cafe. "Perhaps we should be getting back, Sakura-san."

Sakura could feel Ino's eyes on her throughout the afternoon, which drew Sumaru's attention. It was more than a little disconcerting. She concentrated on being efficient and cheerful; the perfect personal assistant. It was a relief when Izuna-sama decided to retire to the household and she could go home to the apartment in Level I that Sakura had begun 'renting' when 'Solange' moved out.

The evening began like any other. She changed into casual clothes and then went through the cupboard and down the long ladder to Arella's apartment in Level 3. Halfway she altered her nanobots so that she had Arella's colouring.

In Arella's apartment, she recorded, encoded and compressed her daily message to Chaaruzu-san before copying it onto a data crystal sliver. Then she went through the secret passage to Angela's apartment, again alerting her appearance at the halfway point.

Once there, she changed her clothes and rearranged her hair.

It was an enjoyable evening. She got her business out of the way first, visiting the Stellar Exchange and sending her message. After that she made her way to the eatery where she had arranged to meet Karenbana, Ishidate and Kongo.

They updated her about the situation in Sublevel C as they ate. Everything seemed to be going well. Once they had finished their meal they moved onto a bar and she encouraged them to talk more generally.

They mentioned both the vendetta and Izuna's history programme. Next they began discussing what would happen when Sasuke Uchiha returned to Tarrasade.

Ishidate thought Sasuke should yield the leadership to Izuna in return for being recognised as his heir. Karenbana thought that wasn't likely. Kongo was looking forward to a challenge between the two of them in the killing square.

When she said she had to leave, Ishidate insisted on walking her home. At the door he made it clear, as he had done many times before, that he would welcome an invitation to enter.

As much as it appealed, Sakura could not risk it.

That was one of the problems of being a Tennyo; she could not lower her guard with anyone, even someone as pleasant and straightforward as Ishidate.

Never mind an ex-Sister and a Knife.

* * *

...


	51. Interlude Part 3 - Elsewhere

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, donalgraeme, angangang, Whispering-Softly, JustSomeGuy, Miroku Kensei, superflaj, Sunshine 2400, melissen and bookworm9407 for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**This chapter has been edited slightly to conform to the terms and conditions of the website.**

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**Leader**

**Interlude**

**51: Vignettes: Elsewhere**

* * *

_Inari_

There was something about the way Kotohime looked at him. Inari had wondered if it was his imagination until it had happened in front of Tayuya and she had bristled.

"It's like she wants to eat you," Tayuya complained once they were alone in the room they shared when on the Maple. "I mean, I understand her lusting over you, loads of people do, but she could at least try to hide it."

Inari wasn't sure what was worse, the thought of Kotohime fancying him or Tayuya's assertion that lots of people would be looking at him in the same way but stopped themselves.

"I thought she was in a relationship with Han," he muttered. He imagined the huge dolphin hybrid in a jealous rage and shuddered.

"I think that's more of a friendship," Tayuya informed him. "Did you know she was bringing Isaribi?"

He shook his head. As far as Inari had known, Kotohime had been expected to be travelling alone. All Inari had been given was a pick up point from Shikamaru and confirmation from Sasuke that Kotohime was expected.

"She's turned out rather well, don't you think?"

Isaribi had grown up into a tall, elegant young woman. Her flipper-like hand had been amputated and, using what Rin had learned when treating Naruto, a much more functional and human-like version had been regenerated in its place. The scaly patches on her skin had been lightened and softened until they were a rather pretty feature.

Inari suddenly realised that Tayuya was scowling at him and began searching for a response that did not include words like 'elegant' and 'pretty'. "Yes. It is good that Rin and Kotohime were able to help her."

Tayuya relaxed and smiled. "I wonder if she still has her crush on Kisame. Why do you think Kotohime has brought her?"

Inari shrugged. "Companionship?"

"I wonder if Kotohime's hoping that Uchiha will recruit her. Apparently she's a very promising medico."

Mentioning medicos turned Inari's thoughts to Rin. Maybe she was dead rather than missing. If she was lost it would leave a huge hole. Rin might not be the most sociable member of Uchiha, but she had made a massive difference to all their lives.

"Maybe Sasuke-sama will persuade Kotohime to stay," Tayuya suggested.

The idea was that Kotohime would investigate the toad hybrids' low birth rate or at least try to; the Gama were highly sensitive about all aspects of breeding.

"Permanently," Tayuya clarified.

Inari could not see Kotohime accepting. She had her life in Haven with Denke, Hina, Tonton, Han and thousands of other hybrids who looked to her for care and guidance. "I don't think she will accept."

"Probably not," Tayuya agreed. She smiled in a way that reminded Inari of the way Kotohime had looked at him. "Why don't you..."

She was interrupted by the click of the intercom. _"This is Shino. Inari-san, I have a message from the Ninken. Captain Bull and Pakkun-san would like a face-to-face as soon as possible after they dock."_ There was a slight pause. _"Pakkun-san sounded very agitated. They will be docked within twenty minutes."_

It was a bad sign that Pakkun was agitated and a worse one that Captain Bull wanted an urgent meeting. Inari hurried to the door and pressed the intercom button on the wall there. "This is Inari. Please tell Pakkun-san that I shall be available as soon as they dock."

He turned back to see Tayuya with an exasperated expression on her face. He had promised her some time together as a couple.

"I am sorry," he told her.

She stood up. "I know. I suppose there's no chance of a quick fuck?"

Inari flushed. He preferred taking such things slowly and, more significantly, he was meeting with Pakkun and Captain Bull. "Tayuya..."

She gestured him to stop. "I know. They'd smell it and you'd find it embarrassing."

He closed the distance between them and embraced her. She relaxed into him immediately, which was a good sign. "I love you," he whispered.

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I know," she admitted. "Do you want me there at the meeting?"

Inari considered. "I had better start it alone, at least until I know what it is about. Could you be available in case I need you?"

He asked Anko to greet them at the docking bay and show them to the meeting room; although Captain Bull never objected to having to squeeze into a small room like his office, Inari felt more comfortable with a bit more breathing space.

As he walked towards the room he passed Anko leaning against a wall. She gave him a pitying look and pointed with her chin up the corridor towards the meeting room. "Good luck with this one, Inari-san."

It was not the most auspicious start.

There was a small figure sitting cross-legged on the floor outside the room. Inari was almost sure it was female and the upswept, pointed ears suggested some canine genes. Her hair was purple. Her head was down but she was looking up at him with suspicious, amber eyes.

He decided that she was a trainee, a cat, and therefore ignored her; Anko would keep an eye on her for him.

Once inside they exchanged greetings and niceties; Captain Bull and Pakkun politely declined refreshments. Then they settled to business.

"How can I be of assistance?" Inari asked.

Captain Bill signed that Pakkun was going to speak on behalf of the crew.

"Pakkun-san?" Inari queried.

"Uchiha encourages us to take trainees," Pakkun began. "Kakashi-san talks about looking for youngsters with much potential and then working hard so that they will grow up to become strong and valued members of the crew. Sasuke-sama says we should not be prejudiced but look for potential in everyone."

He paused and Inari nodded encouragingly, even though he had a nasty suspicion that he knew where this was going.

"Well she has masses of potential. We thought that meant it would work. We didn't think enough about her fitting into the crew. She's female and she's not dog. Canine but not dog."

Pakkun hesitated and Captain Bull signed, urging him on.

"She's just too wild for us. We don't know how to handle it. We end up growling and even snapping at her. Also she's clever. She uses girl-stuff to distract us. We don't know what to do." Pakkun looked miserable in that way that only a dog hybrid could. "The pack is unsettled all the time. We don't fight well when we are unsettled. We aren't happy when we are unsettled."

"You always fight magnificently well," Inari assured them. "What would you like us to do?"

This time Captain Bull signed and Pakkun translated.

"We are asking you to take her. The only other choice we have is to turn her out and she does not deserve that. You have Tayuya-san and Anko-san. Soon you will have Rin-san back. They can show her how to use girl-stuff in a good way. Your pack is more varied and complex. We are confident that, with your help, she can grow into someone of whom Uchiha can be proud."

"Her name is Ryuka," Pakkun added helpfully.

Inari knew he did not have a choice; the Ninken was their most valued and valuable allied crew. He walked over to the intercom.

"I shall ask Tayuya-san to join us. She will settle Ryuka in."

"Thank you, Inari-san," Pakkun acknowledged and Captain Bull signed.

Tayuya arrived quickly. Captain Bull and Pakkun both woofed a welcome.

"Captain Bull, Pakkun-san," she acknowledged.

"Ryuka, the trainee in the corridor, will be joining us on trial," Inari explained.

Tayuya nodded. She had obviously worked that out already. Her eyes asked, "Is she a problem?" and his eyebrows replied that she was.

Captain Bull barked out a command and, in response, the girl slunk around the open doorway.

Inari pointed to a place and waited until she went and stood there.

"Ryuka-kun, I am Inari. I am captain of the Maple and I am one of Uchiha's commanders. The Ninken took you on in good faith but you have failed to perform to the required standard."

The girl's chin came up and her amber eyes flashed. He could not help but be reminded of Tayuya when she was that age.

"Rather than dump you at the nearest port, they have arranged for you to have a second chance. I have agreed to allow you to transfer from the Ninken to the Maple on a trial basis. I am doing this because Captain Bull has asked it of me and because of the respect I have for the Ninken's crew, not because I wish to take on a disobedient and wilful trainee. Do you understand?"

The girl gave a reluctant nod.

"You will treat your superiors with proper respect," Inari warned her. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Captain Inari."

"Better," Inari conceded. "What do you have to say to Captain Bull for arranging this second chance for you?"

"Thank you, Captain Bull."

"Good," Inari confirmed. "This is Tayuya-san. She is our pilot. She will find you somewhere to sleep and explain the ship's routine."

Tayuya led the way out and Ryuka reluctantly followed.

* * *

_Anko_

Anko liked the vendetta. She enjoyed the challenge. It was like a hand-to-hand combat; analysing the situation, manoeuvring to the best available position and then dealing a crippling or killing blow. Life was unpredictable and therefore more exciting.

Shino hated it. He liked home and family and knowing what was going to be happening more than two days in advance. He liked making things rather than destroying them.

Anko loved that he hated it. It was part of loving him. Deciding that she wanted him and changing her behaviour enough that they could live together were the best two decisions of her life. He was her foundation. Being with him made her strong and complete and happy.

After the vendetta was done, they would go back to their usual life, which was perfect for Shino but often a little boring for Anko. Anko would do things to spice things up, like make bets and tease people. Sometimes she would follow one of Shino's sensible suggestions, like contributing more to the children's education programme, particularly for the younger group.

Being considered a positive role model for little girls was hilarious but she did like them, particularly Mai and Takara. Maybe, soon but not too soon, she and Shino would take the plunge and start having children of their own.

Inari had asked her to escort Captain Bull and Pakkun from the docking bay to the meeting room. No one had mentioned a tiny hybrid girl whose expression varied from distrustful to fearful to aggressive,

Anko immediately knew what was happening, even if the girl had not been carrying a small sack.

Her mind went back to what Tayuya had been like. Not by any stretch of her imagination could Anko have predicted that Tayuya would have turned out the way she had.

Anko may have compromised to get Shino, but Tayuya had recreated herself to win Inari. Then again, Inari was quite a prize.

The intercom clicked; Inari summoning Tayuya. Anko studied the girl. She perked up a little when Tayuya arrived. Perhaps the Ninken's crew had mentioned her.

The girl followed Tayuya in and, soon afterwards, the two of them came out.

Time to give Tayuya a hand; better she hate Anko than Tayuya if Tayuya was caring for her. Anko pushed off the wall and stood upright.

Tayuya responded immediately. "Ryuka-kun, this is Anko. Anko-san specialises in security."

Anko gave the girl a few seconds to come up with a polite reply and then gave up; it obviously was not coming. "Ryuka-kun. You, me and Tayuya-san are going to have a talk," she said bluntly and pointed toward another, smaller room.

Tayuya went in first and Ryuka followed. Anko closed the door and sat on one of the tables. Tayuya took one of the chairs. Ryuka looked towards one of the chairs but caught Anko's stare and thought better of it.

"You won't run rings around Tayuya-san and I like you did around the Ninken's crew," Anko began. "We aren't nice like them. We know what adolescent girls are like. Your tricks won't work on us.

"You've got two options," Anko continued. "Option one is you start learning how to behave and you stay. You become part of the greatest spacer clan in known space. Option two is you blow it and get dumped at Haven or in Sanctuary."

"If you aren't sure what to do, ask," Tayuya added.

Anko was not sure it was the moment for encouragement. "Yes, the fewer mistakes you make the better."

* * *

_Ryuka_

Ryuka never planned much. There wasn't any point because as soon as she got used to something it changed and as soon as she began to rely on people they vanished.

She'd lived on the Ninken longer than anywhere else. Everyone on the Ninken knew her name. She was warm, safe and fed.

Part of her wanted to fit in and become part of the pack; conform.

The rest felt trapped.

It didn't help that she didn't understand. Only Pakkun and Bisuke spoke. It was a while before they worked out that she wasn't just going to pick sign language up; she was going to need lessons. Only by then things were already bad.

She wasn't sure being able to sign would have helped; most of their communication with one another was growls and barks.

The day Captain Bull told her she was leaving was the worst of her life and Ryuka's list of bad days was already pretty long. He was going to try to get Captain Inari to take her. If Captain Inari refused he was going to ask Captain Inari to pod her and drop her off at the first suitable planet or station.

After that things happened really fast and now she was sitting in a small room that the red-haired woman had said was Ryuka's until they reached their base.

The red-haired woman was nice. The purple-haired woman was scary.

Captain Inari was handsome.

The room was amazing.

The days that followed didn't go too badly. Everyone was very busy so they didn't have much time for her. She was expected to keep her room clean, turn up for meals and do simple duties.

The only scary bit was when a medico looked her over. The dark-haired woman seemed to know all about her. She said that she was surprised that she hadn't been terminated, given that she had whiskers and pointed, furry ears.

Ryuka had heard that before.

The crew called her by her name. She was warm, safe and fed. They used words rather than sign language and she had her own room, so it was easier than on the Ninken.

But they didn't expect anything of her. They didn't care about her like Captain Bull had done. She began thinking about slipping away next time they dropped to a planet or docked at a space station.

When she had been with them six days, Captain Inari asked her to come to his office. He told her to sit down and he put a cup of tea in front of her. Then he sat opposite her.

"Ryuka-kun, the Maple is Uchiha's mission ship. It isn't set up for long-term living. We only have the occasional trainee aboard and it is always someone who is almost fully trained. That is why we haven't talked to you about your future or set up a training programme for you.

"Tomorrow we'll jump into the system where our base is. You'll be transferred there."

He kept talking but Ryuka didn't listen to the rest of it. They were getting rid of her, like Captain Bull had and all the other people before him.

Captain Inari was still talking. "Do you understand me, Ryuka-kun?"

She nodded and when he frowned she added, "Yes, Captain Inari."

So the next afternoon she was standing, waiting to disembark and clutching her sack.

"Is this a port?" she asked, thinking about slipping away.

Tayuya, the red-haired woman, frowned. "No, Ryuka-kun. Didn't Inari-san explain? This is an Uchiha base. Only Uchiha personnel are here."

Before they could talk more, the outer door of the airlock opened.

It was even more confusing than on the Ninken. There were lots of people there. The crew hurried down the gangway to greet them. Captain Inari and Tayuya, who had seemed so cool and distant, were hugging and kissing a dark-haired man.

Then a figure moved into her field of view and everything else faded into the background. He was tall. His hair was gold and his eyes were blue. He had whiskers like hers.

He smiled at her and it was wonderful.

"It is good to meet you, Ryuka-kun. I am Naruto."

She felt faint. Everyone knew about Naruto-san, even the children who lived on the streets. She wondered if she was asleep and dreaming.

He crouched down in front of her so that their eyes were level.

"Ryuka-kun?"

"Are you real?" she heard herself ask.

He smiled again. "Yes, I am real. I live here. Didn't anyone tell you?"

Maybe someone had mentioned a Naruto but Ryuka had never thought that it was the Naruto. She shook her head.

He guided her down the gangway, through the people and along corridors. Finally they entered a room with lots of doors leading from it.

A man stood up as they entered. He was big with dark hair and he smelled as good as Naruto-san looked.

"Ryuka." He turned to Naruto. "It is her. I thought it might be from Kotohime-san's description." He turned back to Ryuka. "I am Kiba. I worked in the laboratory where you were conceived, Ryuka-kun. I looked after you and the rest of your litter until you were two standards."

They talked a bit more but Ryuka didn't take all of it in. She kept thinking about was how Kiba-san smelled and how she was with Naruto-san. Finally they opened one of the doors and showed her a room like the one on the Maple.

Naruto-san gestured her in. "We'll leave you to settle in. Come out when you are ready. There is no rush. We'll check on you before the evening meal if you haven't appeared." Then he shut the door behind her.

Ryuka sat on the bed. She was an Amachi hybrid. She hadn't known that. She did know that Amachi hybrids were meant to work better than most other hybrids.

Kiba-san was an Amachi hybrid. Apparently so were two other members of the crew. There were other hybrids as well; the crew was hybrid and purebred together.

Like her medallion. She dug her lockbox out of the sack and found it. On one face was Naruto-san. On the other was the dark-haired purebred who was his lover.

She was tired. She curled up around her sack, clutching the medallion.

She woke up because someone was scratching at her door. She was very hungry.

"Ryuka-kun? This is Naruto. The evening meal is in ten minutes."

She washed herself and brushed her hair. She wanted to make a good impression. She did not want Naruto-san and Kiba-san to send her away.

There were lots of people. Ryuka wanted to run away and hide in her room. Instead she stood up tall so they wouldn't know how frightened she was.

There were other hybrids. Some of them even had tails. Lots, seven, had whiskers. The three that had tails also had pointed ears, a bit like hers.

She was between a furry cat hybrid called Five and a purebred of about her own age called Ran. They were trainees, like her.

At the head of the table were Naruto-san and the dark-haired, purebred man from her medallion. He was Sasuke-sama, who was also Uchiha-sama. Pakkun had talked about Uchiha-sama. He was the leader of Uchiha.

Ryuka's heart sped up as all the pieces started coming together. Now she understood what the purple-haired woman had meant when she had said about becoming part of the greatest spacer clan in known space.

She mustn't mess it up this time; she mustn't get dumped or sent away.

On the other side of the table were other youngsters. Some of them looked like Naruto-san. Some of them looked like Sasuke-sama. Others did not look like anyone.

The one opposite her was a wolf hybrid. He was very handsome with broad shoulders. He had ears like hers but furrier.

He had lovely amber eyes and his name was Ryuu, which made her feel weird because it was so like hers.

He smiled at her.

She felt warm inside and smiled back.

This time she was going to make it work.

* * *

_Kabuto_

Kabuto knew that it was bad and getting worse. Their contacts had fallen away, their suppliers refused to sell to them and their allies could no longer be trusted.

The only hybrids left were those too pathetic to make a decision and the ones that were addicted to killing. Even the Orochimaru prints were unreliable; as likely to run for the Far Fringe as to sacrifice themselves.

It was as if the Uchiha mothership could turn up anywhere and spew out its load of ships.

They were running out of bases in which to hide.

Orochimaru would cut and run. He would go into stasis. Kabuto would be left behind, like meat thrown to distract a ravenous wolf.

It would be soon; Orochimaru was being too nice to him. Like now.

Orochimaru caressed the inside of Kabuto's wrist with the pad of his thumb. "We should have cloned and mindprinted you, Kabuto. Your prints would have been far more loyal than my own."

Kabuto's heart began thumping. Whenever Orochimaru mentioned loyalty he expected to be told it was the last time and ordered to stay behind to command a rearguard. He studied the amber eyes. Was there pity there? Was this the moment to play his last card?

He didn't dare wait any longer.

"I never trusted the Orochimaru prints the way I do you," he began.

The pity changed to suspicion.

"Compared to you they were mere shadows," Kabuto continued. "They had only a fraction of your strength and determination."

The suspicion faded slightly; Orochimaru, in all his forms, was swayed by flattery.

"I confess I felt the need for something to strengthen my position," he admitted.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "And what would that be, Kabuto-chan?"

"Stem cells from the Bara hybrid. One of the samples I acquired when we captured the tissue bank on the Oak."

Orochimaru frowned. Kabuto expected that. The memories that he had received from the Orochimaru reprint had been incomplete.

"Where is it?" he demanded.

"Safe. Hidden. In stasis. The cells will be viable for centuries."

Anger flashed in the amber eyes. "So there was no need to raid the Uchiha compound or to trap the system."

Kabuto swallowed. This was the risk; Orochimaru might kill him. "You wanted your six hybrids back. They were yours. Uchiha had stolen them from you."

"True," Orochimaru admitted. "Where is this sample?"

"Take me with you into stasis," Kabuto replied. "When we come out, when Sasuke Uchiha is long gone, we can retrieve the stem cells and raise Bara hybrids."

There was silence. Orochimaru's gaze bored into him. Kabuto knew he was deciding whether to snap his neck, torture the information out of him or acquiesce.

Finally he smiled. "What a wonderful gift, Kabuto-chan."

Kabuto knew better than to let his guard down. "I am honoured that you should see it that way, Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru brought Kabuto's wrist to his lips. For a moment Kabuto thought he would bite down. Instead he kissed the pulse point.

"Yes, you are."

_Orochimaru_

Orochimaru studied the unconscious man in the bed. He did not know if he was impressed or outraged that Kabuto had the gall to bargain with him.

He reminded himself that Kabuto was worth effort and compromise. He was a gifted scientist, a fabulous technician, a tolerable companion and surprisingly sweet in bed. His loyalty was gratifyingly resilient.

It was pleasant to be adored rather than hated.

So Orochimaru resisted the urge to hit harder or to squeeze tighter. He managed to dull the cutting edge of his words; even stretching to compliments.

There were times, like now, when doing so took every iota of his self control.

Times, like now, when he required a scapegoat.

He pulled on some clothes and headed for the basement.

He reflected on his situation as he walked. They had been on the verge of success. If Sasuke Uchiha had been trapped and killed, Madara would have taken over Uchiha and Orochimaru would have had Akatsuki for himself. Their bargain, made centuries ago, would have been fulfilled.

Instead he was in a vendetta against an opponent who had a type-seven genius in full control of his abilities. The advantages Shikamaru had built for Uchiha over the last decade were too great. Their communications were too effective and their ships too fast. As for Shikamaru's command of information, Orochimaru now understood why the Sunagakure called him a Wizard.

No, if he wanted to survive he would have to go into stasis.

If it had not been a vendetta he would have tried to negotiate. After all, he had something that Sasuke Uchiha would value; the true identity of 'Izuna' Uchiha.

The vendetta made that impossible; he was better off keeping the secret and Madara's good will, of which there remained precious little.

Madara blamed him for their current situation because the Orochimaru print had opened the hole before confirming Sasuke Uchiha's death. Orochimaru knew better. The blame lay with the person who had allowed the typed-seven genius to escape.

He unlocked the door to the basement and relocked it behind him before making his way to his personal laboratory.

It had taken considerable ingenuity to work out how to keep someone tanked but conscious. It had proved to be worth the effort. It was fascinating to have access to every organ, every receptor and every nerve. The regenerators automatically cut in when he went too far; healing just enough of the damage.

It was not surprising that he was still alive; Orochimaru made absolutely sure that he did not die. It was astounding that he was still sane.

Orochimaru smiled.

"Shall we begin, Pein-san?"

* * *

...


	52. Blessings

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, donalgraeme, angangang, Whispering-Softly, JustSomeGuy, Miroku Kensei, superflaj, Sunshine 2400, melissen and bookworm9407 for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**52: Blessings**

* * *

Shikamaru leaned back and studied the displays that filled his field of view.

Working in Haru's simulator may have been easier and more efficient but being inside a machine separated him from the rest of the crew. This way people wandered into the room to speak to him or bring him a cup of coffee.

Also, being in the simulator reminded him of Sai.

Haru and Sumiko were convinced that Sai's box could have survived, even though it was obvious that the transponder that Shikamaru had fused to its surface had not.

If the transponder was operational one of the probes would have detected it by now.

Instead they were trying to find a small object that had been propelled at high trajectory in a random direction when the Linden exploded. The search could take decades. To make it worse, no component in Sai's array was unique. Time and time again a probe would follow up a lead only for it to be an irrelevant remnant of the Linden or the Oak.

Which was why Haru spent so much time refining his simulation of the explosion and its aftermath. That way he could prioritise searching some sectors over others.

It had been five divs; half a standard.

His eyes strayed to the far right, to the summary the search to find the Orochimaru print, Rin and Akemi. If they couldn't find three people, how could they expect to find Sai's box?

Shikamaru shivered. He knew what Neji thought. Based on what Haru had told them, Neji believed that the Orochimaru print had impregnated Rin and was hiding until the pregnancy was too advanced for termination to be an acceptable option.

But where?

Thinking of a possibly pregnant Rin reminded him of a definitely pregnant Hinata. Shikamaru thought back to when Neji had told them. His voice had been too positive and his eyes had betrayed his confusion.

Despite his unfaltering spousal support and paternal pride, Shikamaru knew Neji had been shocked.

The intercom clicked in proper Uchiha fashion; one of the countless small events that reminded him of the recent move from the Renaissance to the Skyburrow.

"_This is Hikaru. Shikamaru-san, we are ready if you are."_

Shikamaru activated the intercom. "This is Shikamaru. Anytime."

"_This is Hikaru. ETA ten minutes."_

Ten minutes gave him time to check the voice component of Tennyo Three's latest message.

Sakura's pink hair and emerald eyes still amused him. What had her parents been thinking?

She bowed towards the camera. _"Chaaruzu-san. You asked to be informed if Izuna Uchiha was planning a trip away from Tarrasade. He is leaving in five days' time for seven days. It will be a two day trip out in his yacht to rendezvous with a Space Liner luxury cruiser, two days giving lectures and the three days back. It looks like a travelling version of what he does here but I shall keep my eyes open as usual. Sumaru-san, Ino-san and I shall be accompanying him._

"_There is little else to report but all details as attached as usual. Here in Tarrasade the pattern continues to be the same. There is still the cult who believes that Izuna Uchiha is their messiah, but they have been rather quiet lately. Rich people think they will get more out of Izuna Uchiha as clan leader than they do out of Sasuke Uchiha. Younger people prefer Sasuke-sama. Older people favour Izuna-sama. The vendetta continues to polarise opinions._

"_As for Ino-san and Sumaru-san, I have little to add to my previous reports. Both behave impeccably. Sumaru-san spends all his free time in the Uchiha household. I have __little idea__ about Ino-san. __The few times we have conversed she gives little or nothing away__.__"_

She bowed again. _"That is all from Tennyo Three."_

A five day window during which Sasuke could visit Tarrasade; they would have to take advantage. Making the most of it would be tricky; the slightest hint that Sasuke was coming and Izuna would cancel his trip.

Izuna was proving annoyingly patient. He built his resources, made contacts, courted the media and trained. There was not the slightest hint of any inappropriate communication with the Akatsuki, never mind another coded message sent from the Stellar Exchange.

His strategy was working; Shikamaru had run the simulations. If Izuna Uchiha was reinstated as leader of the Uchiha clan, people would accept it. They would prefer him not to have to kill Sasuke to do it, but both claims were considered legitimate and most thought a challenge in the killing square the only likely resolution.

The announcer sounded. Shikamaru consigned thoughts of Izuna to a lower level of his mind and opened the door.

Keizo and Ryuu entered first. Keizo was pushing a hover platform bearing Shikamaru's chair from his and Neji's office on the Oak. Ryuu had a trolley piled high with pieces of his desk.

They had been lucky. The bulk of the wreckage from the Oak had drifted past the hole and kept going. By the time the Linden exploded, forty days later, the wreck had been well away from the blast zone.

Hikaru followed Ryuu. Shikamaru suppressed a smile. Hikaru's long bangs were scraped back with a hair tie and he had a stylus behind one ear. He consulted his tablet.

"In the middle of the room, Shikamaru-san?" he queried.

"Yes, please, Hikaru-kun," he replied. He disconnected his interfaces and took them with him to the side of the room.

After Hikaru came Yasushi and Yoshimi with more pieces of desk. Shikamaru was pleased to see Yoshimi joining in. The drugs the Orochimaru print had caused long-lasting damage, much of which had still to mend; Yoshimi still oscillated between sleeping far too much and hyperactivity.

Most of his whiskers had grown back but one was missing and another was persistently curly.

"We can manage, Shikamaru-san," Hikaru hinted, obviously hoping he would leave.

Shikamaru wanted to watch them, so he gestured at the displays and smiled. "I am still working, Hikaru-kun."

Hikaru frowned; Shikamaru could imagine him wishing that he had delayed the installation until the strategy meeting later in the day.

Putting Hikaru in charge of fitting out the Skyburrow had been an inspired decision. Once Kotetsu and Izumo had supervised the assembly of the modules and the installation of the core systems, Sasuke had handed the project over to Hikaru.

Seeing Hikaru with his stylus and tablet reminded Shikamaru of the little boy with his rubber bricks.

Keizo began directing the assembly of the desk; it had been through Izumo's new workshop and was almost as good as new.

By fluke, the chair had been untouched.

They had begun testing the wiring when the intercom clicked again.

"_This is Hoshi. Hikaru, are you and the others still in Shika-san's office?"_

Hikaru started towards the intercom on the wall but Shikamaru indicated that he should use the one on the desk.

"This is Hikaru. Yes, we are still in Shikamaru-san's office."

Hoshi and Yuki arrived first, followed by Haru.

"What's happening?" Hikaru asked but before he could answer Kuuya and Kazuki careered into the room.

The object that Kuuya was carrying answered Hikaru's question; it was Sasuke's biwa case.

At first look it did not look promising; there were scratches, scrapes and dents.

"It's still closed," Hikaru pointed out. "That's good."

"It was designed to protect the biwa no matter what," Haru added.

"Do we give it to Papa to open?" Yuki asked.

There was silence.

"May I make a suggestion?" Shikamaru asked.

Kuuya and Hoshi both nodded,

"If it's damaged, we could try to get it mended. There are a few great lute makers who might be able to restore it. There is one on Centre V and another on a planet called Lorongan."

"We need to look then," Yasushi suggested.

They all looked at Hoshi, who took a deep breath and tried to open it.

"It's no good. It's jammed."

Finally, between them, Haru and Keizo managed to get the clasps open. Haru lifted the lid a fraction before allowing it to fall back and stepping aside for Hoshi.

They all held their breaths a second time while she opened the lid.

It looked fine but Shikamaru knew it might not be. The glue could have vaporised or the wood might fall into dust when she touched it.

Slowly, carefully, Hoshi lifted it out.

It stayed intact, which was good.

Then she plucked one of the strings and everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar, rich sound.

"Let's give it to Papa now," Yoshimi suggested. "He's giving the little ones a music lesson. It will be perfect."

"I'll get To-chan," Kazuki replied and shot out the door.

"I guess that's decided then," Hoshi acknowledged, placing the biwa back in its case and lowering the lid. "Are you coming, Shika-san?"

"I would like that very much," Shikamaru confirmed. "Will Iruka-san be about?" Iruka had insisted on taking over the household when Haku had transferred to Tarrasade. Certainly they needed someone to look after their seventeen trainees, particularly since adding Ryuka and Isaribi to the mix.

Shikamaru knew it was hard on Iruka when, like now, Kakashi was on the Maple. Seeing Sasuke reunited with his biwa would make the separation a little easier to bear.

"He was in the playroom talking to Kiba-san," Hoshi confirmed. "If he's not, one of us will go and get him," she promised.

It was wonderful. Shikamaru hung back with Naruto, Kiba and Iruka as Sasuke, surrounded by his children, opened the case.

"You had better get over there, Na-chan," Shikamaru suggested, "before he starts blubbing in front of them."

Naruto smiled and glided across the room as only Naruto could.

Shikamaru watched. A single touch from Naruto was enough; it was as if Sasuke drew strength from him. Their eyes met and a smile was exchanged.

He was jealous. He could not help it. He missed his easy, familiar intimacy with Neji. It had not been perfect, a fraction of what Naruto and Sasuke shared, but it had been warm and comforting.

He had even lost the improved relationship with Sumiko that had helped compensate. Sai's death stood between them, a gulf that he couldn't and she wouldn't cross.

Iruka was watching him with a small, worried frown. Shikamaru buried his emotions and smiled.

Sasuke tuned the biwa and started to play. Shikamaru found himself thinking about the trick Lady Luck had played. One of the greatest musicians of a generation, Klenn had been sure of that, caught in a destiny that meant he would only ever play for his family.

A small hand on his arm; Su-chan. He guided her over to a chair, sat down and drew her into his lap. For once she did not resist; maybe Sasuke's music was magical.

Then they moved onto a sing-song and the spell was broken.

"Nii-san, why is Ne-chan having a baby with Hinata-san?" Sumiko whispered.

It was not the best place for the conversation but Sumiko so rarely let her defences down these days.

"I'm not sure, Su-chan. Maybe Hinata-san wanted a baby and Neji loves her so he decided that having a baby quickly was fine."

"Didn't Ne-chan love you?"

Shikamaru knew she did not mean to hurt him. She was really asking whether Neji had loved, did love, her. "Neji loves us, Su-chan, but he believes what he can have with Hinata-san is something special."

"Rings and forever, like Sasuke-sama and Naruto-san?"

"Yes, rings and forever."

She sniffed. "It isn't. He's wrong."

Shikamaru knew he should scold her but he could not. Instead he gave her a hug.

"I miss Sai."

"I know you do. I miss him too."

She looked towards the biwa case. "That's huge and it was in some of the wreckage. It still took Haru five divs to find it."

It was unexpectedly reasonable of her; usually she accused Haru of not trying hard enough. "He won't give up, Su-chan."

"I know," she admitted.

It was their turn to help in the kitchen. Choza always cooked the evemeal but responsibility for the midday meal rotated. Today Hinata was cook with Shikamaru and Sumiko assisting her. It had been Iruka's idea; something that would help them build a relationship with Hinata.

Sumiko was setting the table while Shikamaru prepared ingredients and cleaned implements that were no longer required.

"I can manage, Shikamaru-san," she assured him, keeping her eyes on the contents of the pot she was stirring.

Shikamaru recognised the dismissal but refused to acknowledge it. "I know you can," he agreed. He checked that Sumiko was up at the other end of the kitchen. "I know that you are healthy, Hinata-san, but you may have to become accustomed to taking things easier and accepting more assistance given that you are pregnant."

She flushed bright red.

Shikamaru was surprised by her reaction; Hinata was usually in complete control of her emotions. He considered backing away but something was telling him to push. "You may not be a member of the crew, Hinata-san, but as Neji's partner you are a member of this family."

The colour in her cheeks was already fading. "It is kind of you to say so, Shikamaru-san." She looked towards him for the first time. "I do care for Neji, Shikamaru-san. I have his best interests at heart."

It was shockingly short of a declaration of love. "That is good to know, Hinata-san."

Then, before he could think of a way of prolonging the conversation, Sumiko was at his elbow telling him that she had finished setting the table.

The midday meal was its usual blend of efficiency and managed chaos. The younger children had a formal meal supervised by Kiba. Occasionally someone else would join them; today it was Shikamaru. Once they had left for the playroom, others started arriving.

Seventeen growing adolescents, ten of them hybrids, ate a lot of food.

Sasuke was late for the strategy meeting that afternoon. Shikamaru had half expected him to postpone it given the way he and Naruto had been looking at each other after the children had given him his biwa. Instead Shikamaru was alone with Neji in the meeting room.

He wished Kakashi was there rather than far away on the Maple.

"Is Hinata-san well?" Shikamaru asked and cringed slightly; he always opened with that question these days.

There was a pause, which was a little worrying. "There is more than one baby," Neji told him.

Shikamaru was surprised. He thought that babies in wombs usually came in ones. "Twins?"

"Triplets," Neji admitted.

Some part of Shikamaru's brain supplied the relevant information; on average there was one set of triplets in eight thousand naturally conceived births but maybe there was a higher incidence on Hyuga.

"It will be fine," Shikamaru assured him. "Hinata will have the best medical care and we are used to raising children in batches. Does your family have a history of multiple conceptions?"

"My father was one of identical twins," Neji admitted.

"The tendency to have monozygotic twins is not heritable. No heterozygotic twin or triplets?"

"No."

The single word reply was clipped and nothing else was forthcoming; Neji obviously thought that Hinata had done something to cause three eggs to be present rather than one.

But why?

Shikamaru was still deciding if he should inquire further when the door slid open and Sasuke arrived. His hair was slightly fluffy; a sure sign that he was fresh from the shower.

"Please accept my apologies, Neji-san, Shika-san."

"Sasuke-sama," they acknowledged and then settled to work.

Overall, the campaign was going well. They had severed supply lines, disrupted funding streams, captured or destroyed seventeen ships and purged six bases. Two hundred and thirteen hybrids and prints had declared themselves neutral.

Four Orochimaru prints had killed themselves when cornered.

There had been losses as well as gains. They had lost two allied crews outright, six others had sustained casualties and eleven ships had required or were undergoing substantial repairs.

There was no sign of Pein or Kabuto or the original Orochimaru.

"The propaganda campaign is showing returns," Neji pointed out once they had digested the latest gains, loses and casualties.

Sasuke flinched. "I wish you and Shikamaru wouldn't call it that."

"Why not?" Shikamaru queried. "That's what it is."

"Naruto doesn't like it. He thinks it makes us sound like we're lying."

Shikamaru decided not to argue about the meaning of a word.

Neji rephrased it. "The videos we have made and released are having an effect, particularly on the minkies. The desertion rate is so bad that Akatsuki commanders are choosing not to use their minky squadrons, which was one of their greatest tactical advantages."

"I shall have to thank Pip-san and Cott-san," Sasuke acknowledged.

Shikamaru suppressed a smile. For the minkies, it hadn't been Naruto who had made an impression. It had been Sasuke Uchiha, leader of the most famous spacer clan in known space, introducing two old, scarred minkies as respected allies.

"The quality of the information we have received from those captured or deserting has improved," Neji continued. "The chances of us locating the Orochimaru original have significantly increased. He must realise this. We must face the possibility that he will escape into stasis."

Sasuke stiffened. "Which means that we will not be able to find him."

"There are many ways of setting up the stasis arrangements so that Orochimaru himself does not know its current location," Shikamaru agreed. "It is also likely that the location moves."

"He's been doing this for centuries," Sasuke complained. "Surely there is some type of trail."

"I have been trying to find one since for over a decade," Shikamaru reminded him. "I have nothing." He could see how frustrated Sasuke was at the thought of it. "Maybe we will be able to follow him this time."

Sasuke gave him a look. "You are only saying that to make me feel better."

"Yes," Shikamaru admitted.

"Don't. I might have a weak moment and get my hopes up." He signed. "We may have to settle for chasing him back into his pod. At least we will have destroyed the Akatsuki and made sure that there aren't any active Orochimaru prints. Getting rid of Kabuto and clarifying Pein's fate would also be useful. Can we still find Kabuto if we ever get close enough? Is the transponder Gaara, Anko and Haku got into him still operational?"

"Should be," Shikamaru confirmed. "The nanobots were programmed to pass through the wall of the gut and assemble it in his heart muscle."

After another twenty minutes making all the decisions they could about hunting the Akatsuki, Sasuke got up to make them tea. It was a sure signal that they were going to discuss Izuna.

Shikamaru studied him. Five divs of intense training had changed the way Sasuke held himself and his movement. He was now as good a fighter as he could be without an implant, non-human genes or a symbiote.

It was not enough. Shikamaru would not, could not, risk all their futures on a single knife fight.

"Well, Shika-san?" Sasuke asked as he returned to the table.

"Izuna-sama will be away from Tarrasade for five days. He has agreed to be on a Space Liner for two days and the other three will be spent travelling. Lady knows how much they are paying him or what contacts he is expecting to make. Hopefully we will find out."

Sasuke scowled. "I still think it looks weak to scuttle back there as soon as he has gone."

"Those in the household in Tarrasade need to see you, Sasuke-sama," Neji reminded him, to Shikamaru's relief. "You could also visit a few of our key contacts, including Hiruzen-sama."

"As well as taking back the Renaissance and picking up our new ship," Shikamaru added. The improver and the Mulligan drive had been salvaged from the wreckage of the Oak. The large, old fashioned Mulligan drive had been sold and the improver taken back to Elessen where Garner Parrad's people had installed it in their new ship, the Elm.

Sasuke signed. "We won't be able to take the triplets. I miss the Oak."

So did Shikamaru; it had been their home for so long and he often yearned for his woods. The Elm was too small for any such extravagance; she was only a few decks larger than the Maple. "The Oak was too slow."

"I know. So do we move all this?" Sasuke's gesture encompassed the displays to indicate their command centre.

Shikamaru did not want to go. If he stayed, he could support Haru's continued search for Sai. "The minigated shortcut using the third hole means that I can keep you fully informed. I am not convinced that moving from here to the Renaissance to the Elm is worth it for such a short time."

Sasuke frowned. "I was thinking that you would come with me."

"What are your plans for me, Sasuke-sama?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru began balancing the consequences of revealing that Neji's kidnapping had failed against Sasuke's need for his insight at the various meetings they had planned.

"You will be at my side where you belong," Sasuke declared.

His analysis stuttered to a stop. Looking up, he was just in time to catch Neji's reaction; those tiny movements of eyes and mouth that qualified as a Hyuga smile.

Once they had covered everything, Sasuke ended the meeting and Shikamaru began closing down the displays.

"I am worried about Neji."

Shikamaru jumped; he had thought Sasuke had left with Neji. "Sasuke-sama?"

"Do you think he is happy or even content?" Sasuke pressed.

"No," Shikamaru admitted. "I think it was going smoothly until Hinata told him about the baby." He wondered if he should mention that the baby was babies but decided not; Neji should tell Sasuke in his own time.

Sasuke sighed. "Without Hinata we would not have him back." He looked at Shikamaru with eyes that were so similar to and yet so different from Izuna's. "This trip, I want you with me."

All thoughts of staying behind vanished." Of course, Sasuke-sama."

"And we will be taking Hinata with us. Maybe if we work on it as a family, we can make her feel more welcome."

Shikamaru felt guilty for not trying harder. "I'll ask Su-chan if she wants to come with me or stay. If we're lucky, she'll decide to stay here."

He told Sumiko about the trip straight away, before she could hear about it from anyone else.

"It's my choice?" Sumiko checked when he had finished.

He nodded.

"Eleven days?"

"Could be up to twenty if we work in a few more meetings," Shikamaru admitted.

"Is Kiba-san staying?"

"Yes."

"If I don't, Can I speak with you every day?"

"That will be the plan and I shall do whatever I can to stick to it."

Sumiko sniffed. "I will think about it and tell you tomorrow."

That evening, after the evening meal, the younger children stayed up to hear Sasuke play. Everyone sat around the largest of the shared areas off the communal kitchen. The adolescents were on the floor. The little ones, dressed in their nightclothes, sat on their parents' laps. Lovers and friends crowded onto the chairs and couches.

Shikamaru's gaze went first to Naruto at Sasuke's feet, surrounded by their sea of children. Then it went to Neji and Hinata sitting side by side on one of the couches.

There was a gap between them; they weren't even holding hands. Looking at them, what he had shared with Neji no longer seemed so lacking. He sighed. He should not be so judgemental; Neji had never been one for showing affection when others were present.

Sumiko shifted in his lap; a sign that she wanted some attention. He gave her a hug and she settled.

He shut his eyes and allowed the music to wash over him.

It was beautiful; a blessing for their new home.

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...


	53. Performance

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, JustSomeGuy, Miroku Kensei, superflaj, Sunshine 2400, melissen, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, donalgraeme and Drago Imperiali for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**A few sentences in this chapter have been edited to better conform with the website's terms and conditions.**

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**53: Performance**

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Haru stared at the diagram and then back at Iruka-sensei.

"Do you have anything to say, Haru-kun?" Iruka-sensei asked.

There were so many things wrong with Iruka-sensei's performance tracker that Haru did not know where to start. It made huge, unjustified assumptions. It included numerous arbitrary correction factors. Despite Iruka-sensei's considerable knowledge of psychology and educational theory, it appeared to have no scientific basis.

"If you are going to criticise it, I need to hear it now. Not in front of all the others. Now."

Haru opened his mouth and closed it again. He looked back at the screen. It said that some of his skills, for example data analysis and problem solving, were off the charts but others, including hand-to-hand combat and leadership, needed further development.

It wasn't a bad summary of where he was and what he needed to do to improve.

"It's just a tool," he suggested cautiously.

"Well observed."

"The scores can't be to scale because we're all so different."

"Exactly."

Haru imagined trying to talk to Hikaru about what he was bad at. "It makes it much easier to talk to us about our strengths and weaknesses. It depersonalises it."

Iruka-sensei smiled at him.

Haru could not resist. "Getting Ryuka's skills to show up on the measures must have been a challenge."

Iruka-sensei did not rise. "Your Oto-san's skills were even lower when he was her age. Not everyone has the benefit of your education, Haru-kun."

Nothing would convince Haru that Ryuka had a tenth of his To-chan's potential.

"So you will not disparage it, or analyse it until there is nothing left but a twitching corpse," Iruka-sensei checked.

"I promise," Haru agreed.

"Good. Now let's talk about your schedule."

What they had negotiated seemed fair to Haru. He had to train, for both hand-to-hand and knife fighting, take a watch once every third day, do everyday duties and be learning at least one skill, for example piloting or engine maintenance.

Filling for a senior member of the crew, for example Shi-chan or Shino-san, took priority. Otherwise he was expected to continue exploring the system.

"Occasionally there will be group tasks," Iruka-sensei reminded him.

"Like Itachi-san's missions," Haru checked.

"Or the real version," Iruka-sensei clarified. "Like fitting out Skyburrow. I understand that next on Hikaru's list is trying to retrieve Shikamaru's level.

Haru wished he had suggested that; he had assumed that all the trees would have died and that therefore it would be pointless.

As their session was ending, Iruka-sensei looked at him in that certain way. Haru tensed. This was when Iruka-sensei always persuaded him to agree to something he would prefer not to do.

"With your Papa, your Oto-san, Shika-san, Neji-san and Hinata-san away we will all have to be flexible," he began.

"Please don't ask me to do stuff with Su-chan," Haru pleaded. "We just about get along provided I'm not telling her what to do."

Iruka-sensei smiled. "Very well. Perhaps you could help with Takara and Teruko."

Haru swallowed. He would prefer to take his chance with Su-chan. "Iruka-sensei..."

"Or you could teach Ryuka mathematics," Iruka-sensei concluded. "I remember how successful you were teaching Ran."

He knew what looking after Ta-chan and Te-chan was like. "I could have a go at that," he agreed.

By the time Iruka-sensei had finished with him it was time for the midday meal. Isaribi had been cook, so the food would taste a bit different; nice but different.

This time there was definitely enough of it; Isaribi understood how much growing hybrids ate.

He had just sat down next to Kazuki when Ran walked in. Haru blinked. Ran had said that he was going to allow Yuki to do his hair but Haru hadn't expected anything so dramatic.

It was very short at the sides and back, like velvet, with a swirling design shaved into the dark brown pile. On the top it was longer and stood up in spikes; brown at the roots and then lightening to blond with blue ends.

Haru would have liked it on anyone else but he wanted Ran to look like Ran.

"It looks great," he managed as Ran took the other seat next to him.

Ran shook his head. "You hate it."

There was no denying it when Ran could feel his emotions.

"It's not for me or for you," Ran clarified. "It's for Konohamaru-san."

Haru understood. Ran was now fourteen; the same age as Ranmaru had been when Konohamaru fell in love with him. Although there were big differences in their personalities, they looked almost exactly the same.

"I might start wearing lenses," Ran warned him. "Or ask Shizune-san to change my eye colour."

Haru nodded; Kono-san didn't need to see his dead lover.

Suddenly Five was behind them; close enough that Haru could feel his breath. "Looks good, Ran-kun." He pulled back a little. "Haru-chan," he acknowledged.

Despite all his efforts not to, Haru flushed.

"Cute," Five whispered and then he was gone.

To make it worse, when he looked up Ryuka was studying him from the other side of the table. He nudged Kazuki. "Ryuka-kun is making eyes at you, Ka-chan," he said in a voice he knew she could hear; her hearing was at least as sharp as Kazuki's.

She scowled and looked away.

"What?" Kazuki queried. "She'd better not be." He and Ryuka had got on each other nerves from the first moment they had laid eyes on each other.

"You're safe, here comes Ry-chan," Haru replied.

Ryuka had a huge crush on Ryuu; now it was her turn to blush.

Ryuu was worth crushing on, Haru could see that. Despite being only thirteen, he was taller than Five and much broader across the shoulders. His voice had broken and, it would seem, made every female who heard it melt.

As far as physical maturity went, he definitely fitted better with Five and Misora and Isaribi. Next was Keitaro. A bit behind Keitaro but fast catching up were the kits and Ryuka, followed by Ran, Hoshi and Ayame. Bringing up the rear were Hikaru and, still significantly behind, Haru.

Not that Ryuu had accepted his new role as heartthrob; he was shy around females other than Hoshi and Ayame, even ones he had known all his life like Misora. The slightest attention from Isaribi left him tongue-tied. He would try to hide behind Hikaru, which was funny because Hi-chan was so much smaller than him.

Hikaru followed Ryuu in. Hi-chan usually sat well away from Haru but the table was crowded so he was only a few places away. Haru leaned forward so that they could make eye contact.

"Iruka-sensei says that you want to salvage Shi-chan's level. I would like to help with that, if that's all right with you."

"That's a great idea," Kazuki volunteered.

Haru could see the beginning of a scowl on Hikaru's face. "Hi-chan thought of it."

Hikaru relaxed once he realised that Haru was not going to take the credit. "Even if everything is dead, we could mend all the systems and use the organic material to start again. Maybe Shika-san would agree to us growing stuff to eat."

Shi-chan loved his birch woods, but Haru stopped himself mentioning that; maybe there could be room for both.

That afternoon he found himself sitting at a table with a large piece of paper, two pencils, an eraser, a tablet and Ryuka; Iruka-sensei wasn't giving him time to reconsider.

"Why you?" Ryuka challenged.

"I like mathematics and I taught Ran," Haru replied.

"Sums," Ryuka checked.

"Sums are one part of mathematics," Haru confirmed.

"Why did you teach Ran when he is older than you?"

"Ran was adopted when he was eight. He was feral before that."

Ryuka was interested by that; Haru could tell.

"I thought that we'd start by checking you use the same counting system we do."

"There's more than one?"

"Yes. Whichever you have used before you will need to use ours now, or there could be misunderstandings."

Haru's suspicion was proved correct. Ryuka understood that counting was done in tens but numbers over one hundred were just different versions of 'big'. By saying her counting system was 'different' rather than 'wrong', he kept her involved for longer.

Not that long; he was trying to explain about thousands when she lost interest.

"I thought purebreds were interested in titties," she announced suddenly.

It was not the answer to the question he had asked. "Titties?" he queried.

She thrust her chest out. "Breasts. I don't expect you to be turned on by my smell but I thought titties worked on all males. Are you too young?"

Haru knew he was turning crimson. What was he expected to do? Get angry? Walk away? He went for honesty. "I don't think I'll ever be interested in titties, I mean breasts."

She smiled. "Males turn you on. Like in the kitchen, when Five whispered in your ear. Are you going to let Five poke you?"

She was worse than his hybrid brothers; at least they talked about 'poking' in general rather than asking personal questions.

"I am too young," he stated. "Purebred humans develop more slowly, particularly males."

"Yuki wants Five," she replied. "Will the two of you fight over him?"

Haru had a bizarre image of him and Yuki fighting while Five looked on. Yuki would kick his butt. "No." He tapped the paper. "We'd better do a bit more."

They didn't make much progress. Haru gave up, arranged to do some more the next day and went to find Ran.

Ran was in his room, which he had arranged exactly as the one in Tarrasade but without the projectors.

Haru had put projectors in his new room; not doing so would have felt like accepting that Sai was gone forever.

Ran was preparing for a trip to the planet the next day. He, Dan-san and Choza-san had arranged to talk to the Gama about a supply of fresh food. Meanwhile Kiba-san was going to try to talk to Gama-sama about Kotohime-san's suggestions for increasing the number of toad-hybrid babies.

"I'll only be gone for a long day," Ran assured him, seeing Haru's gaze go to his pack.

"I know," Haru confirmed.

"How did it go with Ryuka?" Ran asked, changing the subject.

"She tried to distract me with her titties," Haru admitted.

Ran stared at him for a moment and then started to laugh.

Haru felt himself flush for the third time that day.

Ran pulled him in for a hug. "I'm sorry. It's just the thought of you noticing anyone's 'titties' never mind Ryuka's."

Haru snuggled in; being physically close to Ran was a real treat. "Her talking about me not noticing her titties worked." He hesitated but decided to mention it. "She said Yuki likes Five."

"Yuki wants a boyfriend. The only possibilities are Five or Keitaro."

"Or you," Haru pointed out, automatically completing the set of young males who were not litter.

"Don't be dumb," Ran scolded. "As if Yuki is going to try to seduce me. He loves you too much to do anything like that."

Haru hadn't meant it that way but it was a good point. It also made him look at things more from Yuki's point of view.

"Do you want Five?" he asked cautiously.

Ran sighed. "What is this Haru?"

"Would you mind if Five and Yuki became lovers?"

Understanding dawned in Ran's eyes. "No. I like Five but you and I both know you wouldn't stand me going with him without you being involved and you're too young."

"So is Yuki," Haru observed, going off at a tangent.

"No he isn't. Sasuke-sama is still clinging to the hope that the kits will wait another seven divs but he's already lost the battle."

Haru was completely lost. As far as he knew, none of the kits had fucked anything other than their hands.

"Yasushi and Yoshimi," Ran hinted.

Both of them?

"Each other," Ran clarified.

Haru's mind froze.

"Haru?"

It would be like him fucking Hikaru; Haru shuddered at the thought of it.

"Haru, don't get stupid about this," Ran warned.

"But..."

"Were they ever going to live apart as adults?"

The thought of it was absurd. "No." Yo-chan and Ya-chan had always been inseparable. Even Kiba-san had given up trying to make them sleep in different bunks.

"Would you have been surprised if they shared a lover?"

Haru found himself imagining them with Keitaro. "No," he admitted. He let out a sigh. Ran was right. He was expecting Yo-chan and Ya-chan to feel the same way he did and they didn't. It was a bit like they were one person in two bodies; the opposite to In-san and En-san.

"You all right now?" Ran asked.

Haru nodded, remembering that he was meant to be enjoying his cuddle. Talking about fucking had given him a bit of a stiffy. He suspected Ran was hard too, but if he said anything or touched him to find out, Ran would push him away.

He understood why; if they crossed lines too soon, Iruka-sensei and To-chan would stop trusting them and they wouldn't get to spend time together without anyone else there.

The kits might not be able to wait another seven divs but he and Ran could.

So he just cuddled and thought about Yuki, which was easier than thinking about Yo-chan and Ya-chan.

It wasn't fair for him to claim both Ran and Five. Yu-chan couldn't have Ran but he could have Five.

So he looked for a chance to talk to Yuki about it but even when he found one, after breakfast the next day, he discovered that he didn't know how to broach the subject. Instead he managed to corner Hoshi in the shared area of their crew room before the midday meal, while Yu-chan was still in the closet sorting clothes.

"Ran and I are fine about it if Yu-chan wants to make a run at Five," he told her.

She blinked at him. "Where did that come from?" she asked.

"Doesn't he like Five?"

"Yu-chan likes the idea of Five," Hoshi clarified. "To be honest, he is constantly randy and likes the idea of being close to someone. If it wasn't for the fact that Papa would go ballistic, he would be a lot better off with someone like Kono-san who has experience and would know how to treat him properly."

As far as Haru knew, Konohamaru hadn't been with anyone since Ranmaru. Maybe having someone would distract him from seeing how much Ran resembled Ranmaru. "To-chan must realise that," he suggested.

"Papa is not going to be reasonable about it," Hoshi reminded him. She touched Haru's arm. "It was sweet of you to say something. I'll tell Yuki if the time comes when it will do more good than harm."

They might have said more but, at that moment, there was a growl from the kitchen. Haru recognised it immediately. It was Kazuki and he wasn't happy.

There was another, unfamiliar, growl in response.

Haru thought he knew all the kits' growls and it was too high pitched to be Ryuu.

Then all hell broke loose.

There was the sound of some objects falling and others breaking, followed by the thud of a body against something. There was a yowl from Kazuki and a screech from whoever he was fighting. As he and Hoshi approached the doorway Haru saw a chair fly across the kitchen, followed by a bowl with an arc of chopped vegetables trailing behind.

He peered cautiously around the edge of the doorway.

Ryuka and Kazuki were fighting. As he watched she bit into Kazuki's shoulder and he squealed in pain.

Haru began a dash forward only to be dragged back by Hoshi.

"No way. You'll get hurt. We need..."

They needed Kiba-san, but he was on his way back from the planet.

"..Ryuu, Five or a fighter with an implant." Hoshi headed towards the intercom.

Ka-chan howled, which was odd. Haru risked putting his head around the doorway.

The intercom clicked. _"This is Hoshi. Can anyone capable of breaking up a hybrid on hybrid fight please come to the kitchen immediately."_

It definitely had been a fight when Haru first looked; now he wasn't so sure. They were on the table and Ka-chan was on top.

In the doorway opposite he spotted Tsuneo; frozen and staring. His eyes were circular. Behind him were the other children, obviously coming to the kitchen for their meal.

Then Iruka-sensei was there. He moved Tsu-chan to one side and stalked into the kitchen. For the first time Haru realised that Misora was watching from over by the stove, her mouth hanging open and a spoon in her hand.

Iruka-sensei went directly to one of the emergency lockers, opened it and brought out a fire extinguisher.

There was a roaring sound and the table was engulfed in a cloud as the expanding carbon dioxide gas froze the water vapour in the air.

When the roaring stopped there was silence. As the cloud dissipated Haru could see Kazuki and Ryuka standing on the floor on opposite sides of the table. Their clothes were shredded.

Kazuki gave a small whimper.

At that moment Ryuu ran in through the third doorway, spotted Iruka-sensei and skidded to a stop. He stood staring first at Kazuki and then Ryuka and finally back at Kazuki.

This time Ryuka whimpered.

"Thank you for arriving so quickly, Ry-kun," Iruka-sensei stated, "but as you can see the fight is over. Perhaps you could stay and help us clean up. Hoshi, please tell everyone that the emergency is now under control and that the midday meal will be thirty minutes late. Sumiko-chan, please take the triplets back to the playroom; I'll be along in a minute. Kazuki and Ryuka, go to your rooms now, clean up and stay there until I tell you otherwise. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Iruka-san," Kazuki whispered.

Ryuka only managed a nod.

Hoshi quickly made herself busy with the intercom. Haru wished he had a similar excuse to be facing the wall. Instead he stood back as Kazuki and Ryuka walked past him, through the shared area and into their rooms.

He hoped that his expression was neutral.

Kazuki was let out of his room the next morning. Ryuka wasn't; Haru guessed she hadn't been as polite and apologetic. He slunk into Haru's room before breakfast.

"What in known space got into you?" Haru asked.

"I don't know," Ka-chan admitted. "We were helping Misora and Ryuka was being a pain. You know. Asking all those questions and then acting like my answers meant different things than they did. Then she pulled my tail. Lady knows why. I told her not to. You know I don't like people touching my tail.

"Then she did it again and I told myself I could ignore it. Like Itachi-san says I have to ignore it in combat. Then she stroked it. Stroked it! I told her to stop it or I'd make her and then it got bad really quick and we started fighting."

Haru did think about not saying anything else but other people had seen; at least Misora and Iruka-sensei and Tsuneo. "And?"

Ka-chan face went crimson before he buried it in his hands. "I don't know. Being so close. The noises she was making. Her smell. Even her biting me. Suddenly all I could think of was..." He looked up with horrified eyes, took in Haru's expression and stared at the wall. "She wasn't resisting, Ha-chan. She was as into it as I was."

"I could see that," Haru admitted, remembering the way Ryuka had been shoving herself against Kazuki.

Ka-chan groaned. "Did Tsu-chan really see?"

"Maybe it was less explicit from that viewpoint," Haru suggested but, thinking about it, that did not seem very likely. "I don't think Ta-chan and Te-chan saw. Or Su-chan." He thought back. "I think Hoshi only saw the fight." Then he remembered Misora's face. "Misora saw everything. I imagine it's seared into her memory."

"Kiba-san is going to kill me," Ka-chan whimpered.

"He'll stop short of that," Haru assured him.

Kazuki's ears were down and his whiskers drooping. "He'll be ashamed of me and I'll get To-chan's 'I'm disappointed but I still love you lecture' when he gets back."

"I'd be more worried about Papa," Haru pointed out. "You fucked on the kitchen table in front of Tsu-chan. If I were you I would write them a letter today, scan it and transmit it. That way you tell them first and they'll have time to get over the shock before they get back."

"Good idea. Will you help me write it?"

"I'll check it over for you," Haru promised. He stood up. "Come on, Ka-chan. The sooner you face everyone the better."

Only when they entered the kitchen, no one even turned around. Everyone's attention was focused on Keitaro, who was standing in the middle of the room looking agitated and slightly breathless.

Ran hurried over to them. "The Gama have found Rin-san and Akemi-san."

* * *

...


	54. Compromise

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, JustSomeGuy, Miroku Kensei, Sunshine 2400, melissen, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, donalgraeme, Drago Imperiali and superflaj, for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**54: Compromise**

* * *

Sasuke was pacing. He paused for a moment before starting again. On the table was a tablet displaying Kazuki's letter. They had just finished viewing Iruka's message, which had concentrated on Rin and Akemi, only mentioning Ka-chan in passing.

"We could spar," Naruto suggested.

"No!" Sasuke retorted before he could stop himself. "I am sorry, sweetheart. Three days. We have only been gone three days. How could..." He waved his hand at the space where the projection had been and then at the tablet.

Naruto closed the gap between then and hugged him.

"I know you want to be there for them," he whispered. "Why don't you record a message for each of them?"

Sasuke's thoughts went to Akemi. According to Iruka he had been badly mistreated. Given Iruka's tendency to understate things when he did not want Sasuke to worry that probably meant he had been tortured. Then there was Rin, who, as they had suspected, was pregnant. Apparently the baby was four-fifths through its gestation.

Finally there was Kazuki, whose lapse was trivial in comparison but seemed disproportionately important. "What in known space am I meant to say?"

Naruto's hand stroked his back. "Some of the things you would say of you were there. We could do the message to Ka-chan together."

Maybe Kazuki was the place to start. Sasuke gently disengaged himself and picked up the tablet. The letter was painfully honest; if Ka-chan had been in front of him he would have had his ears back and his tail tucked between his legs. His whiskers would have been drooping.

There was a noise suspiciously like a snigger from Naruto.

"Naruto!" Sasuke complained. "The kitchen table. Where people could see. In front of Tsu-chan."

Naruto started to laugh. "Iruka-sensei with the fire extinguisher," he explained.

Despite himself, Sasuke smiled. "Poor Ka-chan," he admitted.

Discussing what they should say to Kazuki settled him. They decided to concentrate on the fighting, because fighting outside the gym had never been allowed and because it had put him in the situation where he had lost control of his actions.

"Maybe it is time to admit that they are old enough," Naruto suggested once they had finished assuring Ka-chan that they loved him and switched off the camera. "Denying the facts makes us look unreasonable and I don't want that barrier between them and us. They will need us more as they face the challenges of developing into adults, not less."

Sasuke found himself wondering how long Naruto had been waiting for the right moment to say that to him. "Not Haru," he insisted. "Haru is too young."

"Just Ryuu and the kits," Naruto reassured him. "Although you are worrying too much about Haru. He has Ran. Ran will never push Haru into anything he is not ready for."

Sasuke knew that. It was just that Haru was so naive. He remembered what Orochimaru had threatened to do to him and felt sick.

Which reminded him of what that monster had done to Rin.

"I want to give Rin options," he began. "I think she probably feels trapped. We could offer to adopt the baby."

Naruto smiled his approval. "I was hoping you would say that."

"Or, if it was easier for her, Uchiha could take responsibility for the baby but the baby could be placed in stasis to be raised at a later date." Suddenly Sasuke remembered that he wasn't in the best position to give assurances. He could not be certain about the baby's future. What if he lost Uchiha to Izuna? "Or we could find excellent parents for the baby elsewhere, like Shika did for most of the foetuses he rescued from the Akatsuki."

"Rin's baby will be safe within Uchiha," Naruto insisted. "You will be here to ensure it."

Sasuke wished he could be so sure.

* * *

Shikamaru checked everything again. Most important was being absolutely sure of Izuna's location. All it would take was for him and Sasuke to be physically in the same system and Izuna could issue the challenge.

Maybe Sasuke would win; there was certainly more chance of that than there had been half a standard ago.

Maybe he would lose.

There were nights when Shikamaru lay awake thinking of what would happen if Izuna won. For once in his life the urge to kill someone was almost overwhelming.

A small voice within whispered that Izuna may had told the Akatsuki when and where the Oak would be.

Killing Izuna was well within his capacity. He could think of eight different ways without drawing breath; none of which could be traced back to him and two of which involved negligible risk to Sumaru or Sakura.

Only he would have to lie to Sasuke.

And while he was almost certain that Izuna had told the Akatsuki that Sasuke had escaped, he was by no means sure that he had told the Akatsuki where and when the Oak would be so that the trap could be set. There were other possibilities. The Gaters may have leaked who had been buying future gates. That information could have been linked to changes of ownership recorded in the planetary registry.

Could he live with the guilt of killing someone who did not deserve to die?

He buried those thoughts and finished his checks. He had confirmation that Izuna's ship was now two gates away from Tarrasade rather than one; they would have warning if Izuna turned back.

He activated the intercom.

"_This is Shikamaru. We can proceed with the jump. We will reach Garner-san's private dock tomorrow morning. The Renaissance will be handed over immediately, so please ensure that you are ready to disembark and that you take everything with you."_

That evening they sat down to eat their last evening meal on the Renaissance. Hamaki, Terai, Fu and Naomi were eating with them, which made things easier. Naomi was excited, prattling about seeing Haku and Mai again, which was very sweet.

Then, too soon, Naomi was gone and so were her three parents.

Once they left the tension thickened until Shikamaru was aware of each breath he took. Usually they could rely on Sasuke to lead a conversation but he was distracted; presumably thinking about Rin and Akemi in Skyburrow or those waiting for them in Tarrasade.

Neither Neji nor Hinata initiated a topic. As for Naruto, despite Sasuke's efforts to persuade him otherwise, he still radiated disapproval of Neji and Hinata's relationship.

Shikamaru hoped that three cute, little Neji look-alikes would bring him around.

He took a deep breath and decided to have a go.

"You must allow me to take you to the Hunundau store and buy something for the baby, Hinata-san." He was careful not to mention that there was more than one.

Hinata went completely rigid for a moment before making a visible effort and producing a smile. "That is not necessary, Shikamaru-san."

"Shi-chan enjoys giving people presents," Naruto pointed out in a voice that suggested she should be more gracious.

His tone shocked Sasuke into paying closer attention. Shikamaru saw his gaze flick from Naruto to Neji and then Hinata, "Perhaps we should all go," he proposed. "It would be good to buy some things for our new home. Naruto, could you organise that?"

Naruto twitched his whiskers but nodded.

* * *

Sasuke looked from Naruto to Neji and Hinata. What had started out as a straightforward trip had already been complicated beyond recognition. The last thing he needed was Naruto being rude to Hinata.

He was worried about Rin and about Akemi. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to offer Asuma the opportunity to come back with them to Skyburrow. Only that would mean leaving someone else in charge of the household at Tarrasade. The only two options were Gai, who might not be capable of standing up to Izuna, and Itachi. Itachi would do a wonderful job but Sasuke had always avoided giving him a leadership role in Tarrasade; it was too easy for people to forget that he was no longer Uchiha.

Then there was Kazuki. Were all the kits on the same hair trigger? He did not remember Naruto being that way on the Silver Leaf.

There again, Naruto had been catting for the crew.

He wound up the meal as quickly as he could without making the situation worse. Shikamaru insisted on clearing away the dishes and Naruto volunteered to help him. Neji and Hinata excused themselves politely. Sasuke thought about staying with Shika and Naruto but decided to walk around the parts of the ship they had using.

He found a few of the children's clothes at the back of a shelf in the laundry area, one of Shou's toys in a corner and an empty whisky bottle in an alcove.

Ending up in the room he had been using as his office, he checked for incoming messages and began packing the last few items.

The Renaissance was a magnificent ship. Despite its unsuitability for a family, he would miss it.

He had done all that he could and was about to leave when the door announcer sounded. He wondered who it was. Not Naruto, who would have listened to check he was alone and then walked in. Maybe it was Shikamaru.

It was Neji. He looked terrible. Sasuke tried to think of other occasions when he had looked so awful. Maybe when Kabuto boarded the Oak and Shikamaru was injured. Perhaps that first day on the Sakura when Kakashi and Jiraiya had been interrogating him.

"Is it the baby?" he asked immediately. They should not have risked travelling without a medico.

Neji shook his head.

That was a relief. Sasuke waited, wondering if he should offer Neji a seat, or even guide him to one.

"Hinata will be leaving us when we reach Tarrasade."

Sasuke blinked. "Have the two of you had a row?" he queried. "Is she angry? Or upset?" He dredged though his merger knowledge of pregnancy. "Don't pregnant women's hormones mess with their emotions?"

Neji was too still and too rigid. "No. it's not like that. She explained. She never intended to stay. She always planned to get pregnant and then return to Hyuga."

Unfortunately Sasuke could believe it. He grabbed a chair, carried it behind Neji and pushed it against the back of his legs so he had no option but to sit.

Then he placed a second chain opposite and sat down. "Explain," he ordered.

"You have to see it from her point of view," Neji began.

Sasuke did not see why he had to do that. At the moment he was thinking about putting her into a tank until the pregnancy came to term, keeping the baby and shipping Hinata back to Hyuga.

"She loves her family; her mother, her sisters and her cousins. To be with me she has to give up her family forever. It would be like asking Shika to give up living in Uchiha and never see any of you again."

"Neji, her taking your baby with her is unforgiveable," Sasuke insisted.

"You don't understand. She can never have anyone else's children. They have to be mine. Those are the rules."

Rules; despite his burgeoning anger, Sasuke understood about rules. He had lived his life by them. While Izuna was alive he was trapped by them. He made himself listen.

"When the Akatsuki contacted her and offered me to her, she had four options. One, she could have refused to take me, whereupon they probably would have killed me or sold me into slavery. Two, she could have taken me back to Hyuga, getting much credit for doing so. That would have ended up with me killed or buried in some institution somewhere. Three, she could have given up everything and lived the rest of her life with me in Uchiha.

"Four, she could do what she is choosing to do. Go back to Hyuga carrying my children. Regain her status by fulfilling her part of the breeding programme. Live her life within her family. I get the life I chose. She gets the life she deserves."

"Children?" Sasuke queried.

Neji shut his eyes for a few seconds before answering. "Triplets. She is carrying triplets."

Neji was making Hinata's decision sound so reasonable. It was not reasonable. It was outrageous.

"She deceived you," Sasuke pointed out. "She encouraged you to fall in love with her. She lived a lie just to get pregnant."

The words were barely out of his mouth before Sasuke regretted it because Neji crumpled. He folded up and started to sob.

For a moment Sasuke froze. He was not good at this. Trouble was, there was no one else. The only person he could call was Shikamaru and that would be breathtakingly unfair. Despite in the state he was in, even Neji had known that.

Also Sasuke had told Neji that he should feel free to come to him.

He crossed the space between them and rested what he hoped was a comforting hand on Neji's shoulder. Neji did not lean towards him and the sobs continued unabated.

Sasuke couched down. "Whatever happens, we are your family and we are here for you."

The sobs lessened and Sasuke thought he felt Neji's muscles relax marginally.

"Do you want me to stop her leaving?"

Neji shook his head and gasped out a reply. "She'll be... ...a good... ...mother. They... ...will be... ...safe... ...and happy."

Sasuke considered pointing out that the babies would be equally safe and happy with them. Only he could not be absolutely sure. Neji was sworn to Uchiha. If Izuna triumphed, he would control Neji's life along with so many other people Sasuke cared about.

* * *

After they had finished cleaning, Shikamaru waved Naruto away, assuring him that he could finish up in the galley and reminding him that Sasuke would be trying to tidy up the entire ship.

Once he had gone, Shikamaru finished stowing the dishes in the cupboards. When he looked around Hinata was there.

"May I speak with you, Shikamaru-san?"

Shikamaru gestured towards the table. "Of course. Would you like tea?"

She sat down. "No thank you."

He took a seat across a corner from her; opposite was too far away and adjacent too close.

"I need you to listen to everything I have to say, Shikamaru-san," she warned.

Shikamaru's mind exploded with possibilities, too many of which were unpleasant.

"Shikamaru-san?" she queried.

He pulled himself into the present. "I am listening."

"I am returning to Hyuga," she began.

He was not surprised, which was interesting; part of his mind must have been prepared. "Does Neji know?" he demanded.

She nodded.

He did not want to listen to the rest. He wanted to go to Neji and hold him. He stood up. "I don't need to hear any more. Thank you for saving his life. Don't expect any of us to forgive that you manipulated him into loving him. Be grateful that we will let Neji decide what happens to the babies. I have one question. Why didn't you take sperm from him when you had him tanked? It would have been so much kinder."

She flushed. "Artificial insemination is unacceptable. Any child conceived in that manner would be shunned. I could not take that risk. The Hyuga are proficient liars, Shikamaru-san, but they are even more skilled at detecting lies."

For a moment he considered destroying them. It would not be hard. Hyuga's income depended on its reputation. Destroy that and they would become yet another planet without the resources to support its population.

"Shikamaru-san?" Hinata whispered.

He could hear the fear in her voice; see it in her eyes.

No, there were millions of people on Hyuga who did not deserve to suffer. Also, the Hyuga served a purpose; they played a role in negotiating countless treaties and pacts.

"If I contact you about the children, you will reply," he told her.

She opened her mouth to protest and then closed it again. "I understand, Shikamaru-san."

"I hope you do, Hinata-san. Do you know where he is now?"

"No."

He bit back a retort. "Your best guess, Hinata-san."

"With Sasuke-sama but only if Naruto-san was not with him."

Shikamaru ran. If he did not find Neji in Sasuke's office he would activate the ship's internal sensors and track him down.

He did not use the announcer. If he did, Sasuke might order him to stay away.

As the door opened he heard it. Neji was crying. Sasuke was beside him: talking to him; comforting him. Shikamaru crossed the room, ignoring Sasuke's protestations, crouched down in front of Neji and took his hands.

"I am here for you," he insisted. "Always."

Neji looked at him. There were tears running down his cheeks. Shikamaru had never seen him so upset.

"Friends," Shikamaru reminded him. "Family. Always."

"Shika..." Sasuke began.

Shikamaru did not even look at him. "Don't bother to say it because I'm going to ignore you. You can tell Na-chan the same." He stood up, pulling on Neji's hands. "Come on, Ne-chan."

Neji did not move. "But..."

"We'll worry about the buts tomorrow." Shikamaru pulled again. This time Neji went with it and stood.

Once they were moving Shikamaru risked releasing one of Neji's hands so that they could walk side-by-side. They left Sasuke's office and started towards the suite where Shikamaru had his room.

"I don't..." Neji began.

"Tomorrow," Shikamaru insisted.

When they arrived, Shikamaru concentrated on the basics. He slid Neji's jacket from his shoulders and hung it up carefully. A gentle push and Neji was sitting on the bed so that Shikamaru could take off his boots.

"Sedative?" Shikamaru asked.

Neji shook his head. At least he had stopped crying.

"Cuddle?" Shikamaru suggested.

"Shika..." Neji began but trailed off.

Shikamaru decided to take that as a yes. Neji lay on his back and Shikamaru on his side with his head on Neji's shoulder.

Neji's fingers were tracing circles on his back. Shikamaru doubted Neji even knew he was doing it. It was so easy to fall back into old patterns.

"I believed her," he whispered.

Shikamaru was determined to be positive. "That's because there was a lot of truth in it."

Neji sighed. "I so wanted it to be true."

"Perhaps that's what you both wanted. On Hyuga, together, raising a family."

The fingers stopped moving against his back. "I could never do that. Even if it were possible. They destroyed my mother." The stroking resumed. "I want to stay here. This is my family."

Shikamaru hesitated but he had to check. "You don't want us to stop her leaving?"

Neji's fingers stopped again. "No."

"The babies..."

"No," Neji interrupted. They belong with her. She will love them. If we take them away from her, she will have failed. She will not be able to go back. They would destroy her."

"Are you sure they will be safe on Hyuga?"

"Yes," Neji answered without hesitation. "After what happened with my mother and the circumstances of their conception the authorities will never train them to go off planet. They will be allowed to lead ordinary lives."

"But play a part in the breeding programme."

"That is a normal part of life on Hyuga," Neji agreed.

Shikamaru gave up. Neji had obviously decided to allow Hinata to take the babies to Hyuga. He just hoped it was his decision and not one Hinata had manipulated him into making.

Neji's fingers had started moving again.

"I don't expect us to be able to go back," he whispered.

"Good," Shikamaru replied, "because even I can't do that. Time flows in one direction. We'll go forward together, as usual. We can worry about what kind of together later."

"Friends," Neji stated.

"Friends," Shikamaru acknowledged. "Friends and family."

"Friends and family," Neji confirmed.

* * *

...


	55. Assumptions

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, cynder81, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, JustSomeGuy, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, superflaj, donalgraeme, Drago Imperiali, Sunshine 2400 and melissen for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

Please read the author's note at the end.

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**55: Assumptions**

* * *

The Lancet had brought Rin-san and Akemi back to Skyburrow. Akemi was tanked. No one talked about what was wrong with him in front of Haru or the other youngsters but, from what they had overheard, the Orochimaru print had done awful things to him. Haru preferred not to ask too many questions.

Rin-san looked like Rin-san only her face was fuller and she had a bump with the baby inside. Haru tried not to stare but he had never seen a pregnant woman before. It didn't help that he couldn't help thinking it was his fault.

Dan-san and Rin-san had their rooms in the second of the four crew rooms. Haru was on duty in the kitchen with Keizo, helping Keitaro make the midday meal. They weren't a very effective team at the best of times but Haru's attention kept going to the doorway through which he could see the shared area of Rin-san's crew room. Rin-san and Dan-san were sitting on one of the couches.

Dan-san had his hand on the baby bump. He and Rin-san were talking.

Suddenly Tsuneo shot through the door from the crew room where To-chan, Papa and the triplets had their rooms. He stopped halfway across the kitchen, frowning at the table.

"It isn't ready," he pointed out.

Haru had not realised that they were that far behind. They hadn't even got the table set and Kiba-san was approaching with Teruko, Takara and Sumiko.

"There's Rin-san with the baby," Tsu-chan announced, starting towards the doorway.

Keizo dropped what he was doing and ran to intercept. He managed to scoop up Tsuneo before he could cross the threshold.

"What do you know about entering other people's crew rooms?" Keizo asked him.

"I was going to visit the baby," Tsuneo told him.

"Tsu-chan?" Keizo insisted.

"I have to ask permission," Tsuneo admitted. He lifted himself up by pushing on Kei-chan's shoulders. "Can I come in Dan-san?"

Haru's gaze went back to Rin-san and Dan-san. They didn't seem too upset by the intrusion. In fact, Dan-san got to his feet and helped Rin-san up.

"We'll come to you, Tsu-chan," Dan-san replied.

Suddenly everything was happening at once. Dan-san and Rin-san were coming in one doorway and Kiba-san and the rest of the children through another. Keitaro had allowed the soup to boil over. Keizo was pulling a chair out for Rin-san and Tsuneo was dashing about getting in everyone's way.

"Tsuneo-chan!" Kiba-san growled.

He came to a stop next to Rin-san. "Can I touch the baby?" he asked.

There was silence.

"Of course you can, Tsu-chan," Rin-san replied. "Make your hand flat and put it here. Be careful."

Haru found himself wondering if it was a Rin-san clone rather than Rin-san; he couldn't remember her being so nice.

Next Takara and Teruko were crowding around, asking if they could touch the baby too.

"Is it a girl-baby or a boy-baby?" Takara asked.

Rin-san smiled; now Haru was convinced she was a clone. "It's a girl."

Tsuneo looked a bit disappointed but rallied. "What are you going to call her?"

"We haven't decided yet," Rin-san admitted. "Su-chan, would you like to feel the baby?"

Sumiko shook her head. "I'll set the table."

"Thank you, Su-chan," Kiba-san acknowledged from over by the stove, where he was rescuing their meal.

Teruko looked puzzled. "I thought babies came from gestators."

"Not all of them," Dan-san replied. "All babies grew like this before the first gestators were made."

"I grew inside my Ma," Su-chan announced. "So did Nii-san."

"And me," Keitaro added, who was much happier helping Kiba-san than being in charge. "And Akemi and Misora."

Soon the table was set, the children's chairs had been placed at the table and people were taking their places. Haru stayed where he was, at the counter. He had run out of tasks to do so he was rearranging the fruit in a bowl.

Kiba-san came over, laid a hand on his shoulder and guided him over to the table. As they approached, Rin-san caught his eye.

Haru managed a tiny nod of acknowledgement.

As usual, most people ate faster than he did. Kiba-san and the children left, followed by Rin-san and Dan-san. Haru was relieved that she had gone but feeling better made him feel guilty.

The other youngsters started to arrive. Ran slipped into the adjacent seat.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

Haru shook his head. Ran scowled at him. "Later," Haru pleaded and Ran decided to accept it.

Then, just as he was finishing, Dan-san came back into the kitchen, walked up behind him and leaned over.

"Rin would like a word. Maybe as soon as you finish eating?"

Haru nodded; even though that was the last thing he wanted to do.

He wished To-chan was there.

Ran waited until Dan-san had gone. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Haru did, but Rin-san had not asked for Ran. He shook his head. "I'll be fine."

Rin-san and Dan-san had three rooms and the one Dan-san showed him into was arranged as a sitting room. Rin-san was in a comfortable looking chair with her feet up on a footstool.

"Haru-kun," she acknowledged.

"Rin-san," he whispered.

She indicated a chair and he sat down.

"Three different people have either hinted or told me outright that you think what the Orochimaru print did to me was your fault. It wasn't. Orochimaru is obsessed with living forever but his prints know that is impossible for them. So this..." She placed a hand on her bump. "...is that print's bid for immortality. Threatening you was just one of his sadistic games."

That was what Ran kept telling him; Orochimaru would have done it anyway.

He found himself staring at the bump and at Rin-san's hand protecting it.

"What about the baby?" he heard himself ask.

"What do you mean by that?" Rin-san demanded. She sounded much more like Rin-san; Haru was actually pleased that she was being sharp with him.

"Rin-chan," Dan-san said quietly.

"Well I am fed up with it," Rin-san complained. "Shizune had barely finished checking me over and people were offering to raise my baby for me. Offering to adopt her now, or adopt her later, or arrange for her to be adopted on the other side of known space."

Haru had thought about offering to adopt the baby when he was old enough; he was glad he had kept his mouth shut.

"She's my baby."

"Our baby," Dan-san corrected her.

"Our baby," she agreed. "One of new Uchiha's lessons is that it's parenting that matters, not genetics."

Haru was impressed by her determination but this was Orochimaru. What if the baby looked like him? What if being a sadistic megalomaniac was inherited?

Rin-san was scowling at him. "Look at your father."

"Rin-chan," Dan-san warned.

Haru stiffened; what about Papa?

"What do you know about your grandfather?" Rin-san asked.

More than he should, like he always did. Haru decided to face what Rin-san was suggesting head-on. "Papa turned out well even though his father was..." He took a deep breath. "...a sadistic megalomaniac like Orochimaru."

"Haru!" Dan-san was genuinely shocked.

"You'll have to do as good a job as Papa's mother," Haru reminded her, "but Dan-san and the rest of us will help."

Rin-san studied him for a moment and then nodded. "Thank you, Haru. I shall try."

Dan-san saw him out of the room and went with him into the shared area, closing the door behind him.

"I wish I could say it wasn't true about your grandfather but I can't."

Haru nodded. "I understand what Rin-san was saying. If Papa's father had not been what he was, new Uchiha wouldn't exist. In a way the baby is like that." He considered. "It's a compliment really. Even Orochimaru trusts us with his child. Like Pein did."

Dan-san smiled. "That is a nice way of thinking about it, Haru-kun."

Ran was waiting for him in the kitchen. He had one look at Haru, gave a little smile and got up to collect two of Choza's cookies.

"We've got twenty minutes before the meeting Hikaru's holding to discuss salvaging Shika-san's level. Let's go to my room."

Haru nodded.

As soon as they walked into their crew room, Kazuki's door opened.

"You all right?" he asked Haru.

Ran raised the cookies. "We're going to my room. Why don't you get yourself a cookie and join us?"

Haru would have preferred a bit of time with Ran alone but maybe Ka-chan needed the company; he was still recovering from his moment of madness with Ryuka.

They sat on the bed, leaving the chair for Kazuki. He was there within a minute with three cookies, one in his mouth and one in either hand. He slid the door close behind him with his foot, sat down, balanced the two extra cookies on his knee and rescued what was left of the one he had been holding in his mouth.

"How did it go with Rin-san?" he mumbled around a mouthful of cookie.

"Fine. She and Dan-san are going to raise the baby. She says that it was nothing to do with me; the Orochimaru print would have done it anyway.

Ran sighed but managed not to comment.

"Ran and I have been telling you that every day for half a standard," Ka-chan pointed out for him. "Good for Rin-san," he added. "Being able to separate the bad stuff from the baby."

"How are you?" Ran asked cautiously.

Kazuki's ears dipped. "Fine. Papa and To-chan sent me a vid. They were cross about the fighting but understanding about the... ...other."

Kazuki had showed Haru the video message. They had both been impressed that Papa was so calm.

"You do understand about not telling anyone," Ka-chan added.

"Of course," Ran assured him. "As if I would. And I'll be careful to make sure that Ryuka doesn't guess I know."

"Thanks," Kazuki acknowledged and went back to eating his cookies. Haru decided to follow his example.

Iruka-sensei and Kiba-san had agreed that as few people as possible should know that it had been more than a fight. Haru and Misora had promised to tell no one and, hopefully, Tsuneo had been persuaded that they had only been 'wrestling'.

It had been Kazuki who had decided to tell Ran.

"How do you feel about her?" Ran asked.

Haru almost choked on his cookie. Ka-chan looked at Ran with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's obviously a huge physical attraction between you," Ran pointed out.

Haru watched Kazuki struggle to find a response. Ran was an empath. If there was something between Ka-chan and Ryuka, he would know.

"You mean all the time?" Haru asked in little more than a whisper. "Not just when they are fighting?"

Ran glanced at him and then looked back to Kazuki. "Forget it," he suggested.

"No. I want to talk about it. I think." He gave a double yelp, followed by a soft whine. "She smells so good."

"Have you talked to Kiba-san about it?" Ran asked.

Kazuki's ears went back and his whiskers drooped. "Kiba-san thinks he's failed every time we don't behave like purebreds."

"Naruto-san doesn't always behave like a purebred," Ran pointed out. "Kiba-san wants you to be happy. He loves you. Talk to him. I'll try and help."

"How?" Haru asked, intrigued.

"I'll drop a few hints to Choza-san next time I'm helping him. Then he'll pick up on things that Kiba-san says to him."

"What about Ryuka? Does she like you as much?" Haru asked.

"I don't like her," Ka-chan objected. "That's the problem."

"You don't know her," Ran insisted. "She's probably not that easy to get to know. Growing up in her own, not in a litter, she's probably got all kinds of defence mechanisms."

That made sense to Haru. "Like her titties," he suggested only to have Kazuki growl at him, which was a bit of a shock.

"What about her titties?" he demanded, glowering.

"Kazu-kun!" Ran chided him.

Haru hastened to explain. "Our first mathematics lesson. When she'd had enough, she distracted me by asking me why I didn't like her titties."

"You don't like them?" Kazuki checked.

"Ka-chan!" Haru objected. "Of course not. You have to get this under control. What are you going to do when she starts flirting with Ry-chan or Kuu-chan?"

Kazuki was on his feet pacing and growling at the mere thought of it.

"Maybe this is a form of berserk," Haru suggested. "You have to speak to Kiba-san."

Ka-chan shook his head. "I'll see you at the meeting. I think I'd better go to the gym first."

Haru sat staring at the place Kazuki had last been: imagining Ka-chan fighting with Ry-chan or Kuu-chan; the best part of his cookie forgotten in his hand.

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Ran asked once Kazuki was out of earshot.

"I hope not," Haru replied.

Ran hesitated but then spoke. "What if they bonded?"

The thought of that was a thousand times worse than Kazuki fighting with Ryuu or Kuuya. "Ka-chan doesn't have triggered behaviours," he insisted.

"No, Kazuki has never displayed any triggered behaviours before this. You brought up that this could be a type of berserk."

He was still thinking about it when they got to the meeting. Kazuki wasn't there yet. They took two adjacent places at the table and waited for Hikaru to start.

Ka-chan arrived just as Hi-chan had activated the projector. He gave an apologetic ear dip and took one of the few remaining seats.

Hikaru set out his plan to salvage Shi-chan's level. First they had to do a survey, so that they had enough information to develop the detail of the plan.

This time Haru wanted to be on the mission rather than at the control centre that Hi-chan was planning to set up in Skyburrow. He began constructing an argument to use when everyone started suggesting that he stay behind.

"Although there is something to be said for going and having a quick look," Hikaru was saying, "I think it makes more sense to send a team that can implement whatever first steps are necessary. That means flexibility and that means including Haru. Anyone got any bright ideas how we persuade Papa?"

Haru's thought processes skidded to a stop. Hikaru wanted to include him?

"Yes, set off before he comes back," Kuuya suggested. "Persuading Kakashi-san and Iruka-san will be a lot easier."

It was exciting. Kakashi-san was remarkably easy to persuade and Iruka-sensei said it would do Haru good. By the next day he was consulting with Izumo-san and Kotetsu-san and compiling lists.

He was in his laboratory packing tools when the door opened.

It was Sumiko.

"You are meant to use the announcer," he reminded her.

She jutted her chin out. "Have you given up on Sai?" she demanded.

He looked about. He could understand why she would think that. He put down the tool he was holding. "No, come over here and I'll show you what I've got."

He showed her all of it: the model of the explosion, its aftermath and the subsequent movement of the pieces since; the failed attempts to activate the transponder Shi-chan had fused to the outside of Sai's box; the two hundred and fifteen probes of various types; the detailed search patterns; how he had followed up every hopeful reading only for each one to lead nowhere.

"I'll keep at it," he finished. "For standards if necessary."

She sniffed. "You promise?"

"I promise."

She studied the map he had projected. "What if he's inside something else? Like when you search for something and it turns out it's inside a pocket, so you missed it."

"The probes tag every bit of wreckage and we're bringing in every piece," he assured her. "Leaving junk out there is a bad idea even if we didn't want to recycle it." He brought up some images of the module they were using as a warehouse. "I send crawlers over every one. It's meant to be collecting data so each piece is catalogued correctly, but it's actually checking for Sai."

"But there are places you haven't looked and there are pieces of junk that haven't been brought in yet," Sumiko checked.

"Yes. Every minute of every day probes are searching and crawlers are checking."

Su-chan considered and then nodded. "Good."

Haru thought that she would go then but she didn't. She stood there, studying him, as if she was trying to make a decision.

"Su-chan?" he queried.

"You and I share secrets," she suggested.

"We share the secret of Sai," Haru agreed, cautiously.

"Nii-san sent me a vid. He wanted to tell me something before I heard it from anyone else. He does that. Only he said not to tell anyone yet."

He suppressed the urge to tell her that she should keep her mouth shut; after all, she was only nine.

"Only I'm cross and I want to talk about it," she added.

He gave in. "Go on then."

"Hinata-san isn't coming back. She and the baby are going to live on her home planet."

"Hyuga," Haru whispered automatically. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. It is good, because I hate her, but bad, because I won't be able to use my projectors when we find Sai."

"You won't?" Haru queried, still thinking about why Hinata-san would do such a thing. Had Neji-san told her to leave? Had Papa?

"No, because Nii-san will take Ne-chan back."

Maybe Neji-san had gone back to Shi-chan and that was why Hinata-san was leaving. "Did Shi-chan say he and Neji-san were back together?"

"No," Su-chan admitted. "But Ne-chan is upset about Hinata-san leaving and Nii-san is soft."

Neji-san being upset knocked out a lot of possibilities.

Sumiko's chin came up again. "Ne-chan chose Hinata-san over Nii-san. If someone left me, I would never forgive him."

Haru could imagine. There again, Su-chan had lost her Ma and her Pa so she was possessive. Rather like Papa; which was an interesting thought.

"I am sure Shi-chan will talk to you before letting Neji-san move back in."

He could see her thinking about it. "Good. I'll say no." She headed towards the door. "Thank you, Ha-chan."

Haru stared at where she had been, wondering what he had done.

* * *

_._

* * *

_Author's note_

_It is one of my busy times of the year at work, so there isn't as much time as I would like for writing. That means I have fallen behind and I am now writing just ahead of posting; this chapter was finished literally on the day it was posted. If it wasn't for my wonderful beta, who turned it around in less than an hour, it would not have been posted on time._

_I prefer a chapter to lie fallow for few days in case I have to change something. For example there was a small continuity error in the chapter I posted a week ago, which meant I had go back and alter it after it was posted, which feels very unprofessional._

_So we are going back to Saturday-only posting for a while. I cannot tell for how long._

_Apologies._

* * *

.

* * *

...


	56. Rules

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thank you to JustSomeGuy, silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, Drago Imperiali, when spells go wrong, donalgraeme, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard, mikako17, danalexkayarimad, melissen and Whispering-Softly for reviewing Leader. Some of their reviews are no longer on the site because the story was deleted and this is a re-posting.

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, superflaj, Sunshine 2400, melissen, donalgraeme, Drago Imperiali, JustSomeGuy, cynder81 and starneko for reviewing this version.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

_Hits are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire._

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: One scene has been edited to conform more closely to this website's terms and conditions.**

* * *

For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**56: Rules**

* * *

Sasuke had decided to greet Garner Parrad in person. Naruto was waiting with him. They did not speak. There seemed nothing to say after their argument the evening before.

It was not like them not to make up quickly; Sasuke hated it.

Shikamaru was late. Sasuke was already annoyed with him; he had left Sasuke with the task of telling Naruto that Hinata was leaving, Neji was upset and, worst, Shikamaru was taking Neji back.

Not that Shika had said that. No, he had told Sasuke to tell Naruto that he was not going to listen to anything they had to say on the matter. Foolishly, Sasuke had done exactly that.

Running footsteps; Shikamaru appeared around the corner, slowed and stopped beside them.

"Na-chan, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke nodded. If someone was going to speak, it was not going to be him.

"Where's Neji?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru coloured. "In my room." He squared his shoulders, stood a little straighter and stared directly into Naruto's eyes.

Perhaps Naruto would have responded to the challenge but at that moment the outer door of the airlock opened.

Garner Parrad quickly picked up on the tension between them. He diplomatically suggested that Shikamaru should show him any changes that had been made to the ship and that he would meet with Sasuke and Naruto later.

Sasuke watched him and Shikamaru walk away.

"Neither Neji nor I involved Shika," Sasuke pointed out, not for the first time. "Hinata told him."

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "There is nothing you could have done," he acknowledged.

It was an enormous relief; Sasuke felt as if a load had been taken from his shoulders.

"Shi-chan will always be very protective of Neji, even if they are not always lovers. Shi-chan is like that," Naruto admitted.

"I have never seen Neji so upset," Sasuke admitted.

They started walking slowly towards the viewing deck where they had arranged to meet Garner Parrad later.

"Hinata must have decided that Neji would not fuck someone he did not love," Naruto suggested.

"Only for Neji to fall for her completely," Sasuke agreed. He remembered what Neji had been like on Chanx. "He wants someone special to care for, to protect and to love."

"He had Shi-chan," Naruto pointed out.

"Shikamaru is certainly special." Sasuke conceded. He wondered if he should say it. He did not know why he was holding back. He usually shared everything with Naruto without hesitation. "Maybe there's a part of Neji that needs that special person to be female."

"He should love a person, not a gender," Naruto insisted.

"For some of us, that person has to be a certain gender," Sasuke pointed out. "Not you. Before you bonded, you found both males and females attractive."

"Captain Tsunade's breasts," Naruto remembered with a smile. He looked directly into Sasuke's eyes. "Now there is only you."

Sasuke wished that they were not meeting Garner Parrad.

* * *

Shikamaru knew that the last thing Garner needed was being shown how the Renaissance had been changed by having a family living on her. Instead they went to the control room.

Neither of them took the captain's chair.

"Thank you again," Shikamaru said. "Haru and the others are safe because we had use of her."

Garner managed a smile. "I am glad." Then his smile faded. "What about Izuna Uchiha?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "I don't know. Sasuke has stopped allowing people swear to Uchiha. The last two recruits were sworn to him personally."

"So if he is killed, they are free," Garner checked.

Shikamaru nodded.

"Surely there is a way to persuade Izuna Uchiha that a challenge is not in his best interest," Garner suggested.

"None I can think of that are consistent with my vow," Shikamaru admitted.

"Following the rules, Shikamaru-san?"

"To Sasuke, they are more than rules."

There was a short silence. Garner was studying him. There was an intensity in his gaze that Shikamaru had never seen before.

"No one understands rules better than a Centralite," Garner hinted.

Shikamaru stared back. Had Garner seen a way out that he had missed?

"I assume that Sasuke-sama is going to allow his children to swear to Uchiha and play a full role in the new Uchiha," Garner stated.

Shikamaru's first reaction was that Sasuke would never do that, because that would leave his children at Izuna's mercy if he died. Then he focused on Garner's choice of words.

"Perhaps I should re-read the Uchiha clan charter and all its amendments," he suggested, monitoring Garner's reaction. He was not quite there. "Perhaps in conjunction with the spacer code."

Garner smiled.

Now all Shikamaru wanted to do was connect to his data array and pour over the charter and the code. Instead they had to leave the Renaissance, take possession of the Elm and then visit the household. He forced himself to concentrate on the matters at hand.

"Hinata-san has managed to negotiate her return to Hyuga," he stated.

Garner looked sceptical.

"It may be for the best if we and her leave the Renaissance separately," Shikamaru proposed.

"Hinata-san is welcome to stay aboard when you leave," Garner confirmed. "I confess that I thought she would remain with Uchiha."

"So did we for a while," Shikamaru admitted.

For a moment he wondered if Garner would say more on the subject, but instead he changed the subject. "Shall we join Sasuke-sama and Naruto-san on the viewing deck?"

* * *

They were sitting side by side on one of the benches looking out at the stars. The starscape was magnificent; Sasuke would miss the Renaissance's superb viewing decks.

He sighed; the Elm was much more practical but it lacked the Renaissance's panache.

Naruto nudged him, warning him of Garner Parrad's approach. It was sooner than Sasuke had expected; he doubted that Shikamaru had shown him over the ship. He and Naruto stood.

"Parrad-san," Sasuke acknowledged.

"Uchiha-sama," Garner Parrad replied. "There is a matter that I would like to discuss with you and Naruto-san in private. It will not take long."

Sasuke looked to Shikamaru, who smiled. "I'll start purging the Renaissance's systems," he suggested. "I'll be in the control room."

Garner Parrad waited until Shikamaru was at the other end of the viewing deck.

"Deciding to discuss this matter with you was a difficult decision, Sasuke-sama. I am still uncertain that I am correct to do so."

Sasuke stiffened slightly. Was it about Shikamaru?

"Klennethon Darrent was a fabulously wealthy individual," Garner Parrad began. "You know this. I am his executor. The majority of what he owned will become trusts, like the Arts Complex here in Tarrasade. Most of the rest, including control of the improver, he wished to leave to Shikamaru. He did not, because Shikamaru was sworn to Uchiha. Instead, he left it to Haru."

Sasuke blinked. He looked at Naruto, who was frowning.

"Only there are conditions," Garner Parrad continued. "One of them is that if Haru ever swears to Uchiha, he forfeits his inheritance. He can swear to you. Klenn trusted you, Uchiha-sama."

"I don't understand," Naruto admitted. "Who owns it all now?"

Sasuke squeezed his hand. "It is often set up like this when the heir is young. You do not give a huge fortune to a boy of eleven standards. Darrent-san will have made his intentions clear. Parrad-san is doing his best to implement those intentions whilst considering the welfare of all those involved." He turned to Garner Parrad. "How do you see it working out if Haru does not swear to Uchiha?"

"I think I have another twenty to thirty standards in me," Garner Parrad admitted. "I imagine handing over full control to Haru when he hits forty, maybe five standards sooner if my age retard is fraying. Between now and his twentieth birth anniversary there will be gifts; items that Klenn specified. The will specifies that Haru should be told about the inheritance two divs after his twentieth birth anniversary, provided he still qualifies as heir. Then, between twenty and thirty-five, I would hand over chunks and monitor how he copes with the responsibility."

"And if that goes badly?" Naruto asked. "Or if he swears to Uchiha?"

"If it goes badly, I have the option of setting up a trust. Haru would be one of the beneficiaries but he would not control the trust's resources. If he swears to Uchiha, there are instructions to distribute the fortune differently." Garner Parrad stood. "I am sure that you wish to discuss this matter in private. I shall go to the control room and assist Shikamaru-san. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have."

They delayed until Garner Parrad had left and then Sasuke waited for Naruto to begin.

He twitched his whiskers. "Haru does not need this. It will be a burden."

Sasuke imagined being the person who controlled the distribution of the improver. The decisions of that person would change the course of history. "But also a magnificent opportunity," he pointed out.

Naruto sighed but nodded.

"We could keep options open for him," Sasuke suggested.

"Haru will want to swear to Uchiha because Ran is sworn to Uchiha," Naruto reminded him.

Sasuke considered. "I am unhappy that any of them should swear to Uchiha while Izuna is lurking," he admitted. "If he became clan leader, he would have absolute control over their lives. Too many people I care for are already in that position."

"What happens if they swear to you instead?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke had considered that option ever since they realised that Izuna Uchiha had not been declared dead. The closer the big litter got to their fourteenth birth anniversary, the more he thought about it.

"If they swear to me they can only be released if I die or if I am no longer Uchiha. While they are sworn to me they cannot challenge for the clan leadership and they have to vote with me over amendments to the clan charter."

"You can't amend the charter because there aren't enough full blood Uchihas," Naruto checked.

"That's right," Sasuke confirmed. "The minimum number is thirteen and we are nowhere near that. We are stuck with the current rules."

"Is there a downside to swearing to you?"

"If I die, they will not be part of Uchiha unless the new clan leader allows them in."

"They would no longer be a member of the family," Naruto checked.

"Not officially."

Naruto stared out at the stars. "I need time to think about it," he admitted, "and about what Garner Parrad said."

Sasuke stroked his arm. "There is no rush. Their birth anniversary is not for another seven divs."

* * *

What Garner Parrad had said niggled at Shikamaru. He tried to partition it away; there was nothing he could do until he had access to his systems.

There was much to do before that. He was in charge of the handover of the Renaissance to Garner Parrad, which involved removing all Uchiha software and then waiting in case Garner had any problems reinstalling the original programmes.

He didn't; by midmorning they were ready to leave.

Hinata stayed in her room. As far as Shikamaru knew, Neji had not even said goodbye.

Next they moved to the Elm, which was also in Klenn's, now Garner's, private dock. The shipbuilders had delivered it to Elessen, where the Oak's improver had been installed. Garner's people had then brought it to Tarrasade.

Asuma, Haku, Itachi, Kisame, Gai and Kamatari met them there. Haku took charge of Naomi. Counting Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto, Sasuke, Hamaki, Terai and Fu that gave them a team of twelve.

It was just about enough people to check over the entire ship before the middle of the afternoon.

It was intense, demanding work, which kept Shikamaru from checking out any of his possibilities his mind was throwing up about loopholes in the Uchiha clan charter.

Once they were sure that ship was as they had specified, Itachi oversaw setting up and testing the security systems, Kamatari connected the dedicated databases and Shikamaru installed all the software.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was meeting with whoever was available, starting with Asuma.

Shikamaru had finished installing software and had started running checks when he felt a hand on his arm. It wasn't Naruto or Neji, the hand was too small. He lifted one of his goggles to reveal Haku waiting patiently.

He read Haku's lips. "If it is inconvenient, we could arrange a time."

"Give me a minute," Shikamaru replied and launched a battery of diagnostics. Then he pushed up his goggles and took out his earpieces.

"Neji," Haku stated.

"Hurt. Confused. Doubting himself."

"He let Hinata and the baby go without the slightest resistance?" Haru queried.

Shikamaru had not focused on that. "Yes." He considered. "Once he believed she did not love him, there was no point to the relationship."

"Does she love him?"

It was an interesting point. "Not enough," he decided.

"Do you?"

"Yes." Shikamaru felt obliged to clarify. "Enough to do what I did before."

Haku frowned. "Be there for him while he sorts himself out, hold him while he mends and let him go when he wishes to leave you. That is very self-sacrificing of you, Shika-san."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Not really. I like having a partner. Neji isn't scared of what I am. We do love each other, even if our friendship is deeper than our love."

To Shikamaru's surprise, Haku smiled. "I do not see anything wrong with that. I wish I were going to be around for him, Shika-san. Perhaps you can persuade him to talk to Iruka-san. I also anticipate that Sumiko-chan will be less forgiving than you."

"I've sent her a vid. I'm hoping she'll blame Hinata."

Haku's look said it all. "Good luck with that, Shika-san."

After he had gone, hopefully to spend some time with Neji, Shikamaru went back to running diagnostics. It was all looking good, so much so that he could monitor the outcomes in the background while looking into what Garner has suggested.

In truth, he had never analysed the Uchiha clan charter phrase by phrase. The only time he had studied it in depth was when he had been trying to work out the consequences of Izuna Uchiha never having been declared dead.

The charter itself was brief and straightforward; it was the hundreds of amendments that complicated things. Working out which changes were still current and which had been superseded was like untangling a ball of string.

As the situation clarified, Shikamaru's heart beat faster. Some of the amendments were loosely worded; the changes they introduced were different from what had been intended. Definitions had multiplied and diversified. Occasionally a clan leader would try and sort out the mess, but usually only in one area and often without success.

Shikamaru reached the final amendment and looked at what was left. Garner was correct; there was an anomaly that might be useful.

He turned to the spacer code; specifically the section referring to challenges.

* * *

Once they had finished checking over the ship, Sasuke started using the smallest of the meetings rooms for one to one meetings. Top of his list was Asuma. Sasuke was determined that he should be freed to spend some time with Akemi, Misora and Keitaro in Skyburrow

He wanted to place Itachi in command while Asuma was absent. Asuma was against it. He insisted that some people treated Itachi as an Uchiha and almost everyone saw him as a mass-murderer.

Sasuke suspected that Asuma shared their doubts.

The problem was that Sasuke did not have an alternative. Gai was far too trusting. Certainly neither Kakashi nor Inari could be spared; they were busy hunting Orochimaru.

"Konohamaru could come back." Sasuke suggested reluctantly. He was not happy with the idea; Konohamaru was making excellent progress with the toad hybrids and being with the youngsters was helping him get over his grandmother's death.

"You started this discussion by saying how well Konohamaru was doing," Asuma pointed out.

Sasuke changed tack. "A visit. Less than a div. Gai and Itachi can cope for one div. You could time it so you would be there when Akemi comes out of the tank."

Asuma hesitated for the first time. "I'll think about a visit," he conceded.

Once Asuma had gone, Sasuke spoke to Gai. Then Fu took charge of Naomi so that Sasuke could meet with Haku. By the time they had finished, Itachi was available.

Having spoken to both Haku and Itachi, Sasuke was convinced that Asuma was wrong about Itachi not leading the Uchiha contingent in Tarrasade.

He and Itachi were discussing Izuna when the door opened just in time for Shikamaru to run through the gap rather than smacking into it. He was clutching a tablet, which he thrust in front of Sasuke.

"You have to see this," he insisted, looking directly into Sasuke's eyes.

Holding Shikamaru's gaze was like dropping in free fall; this was raw Shikamaru with none of the layers that normally buffered his interactions with others. Sasuke could feel Itachi beside him; rigid with indignation at Shika's lack of respect.

Sasuke put a hand on Itachi's arm. "How urgent is it, Shika-san?"

Shikamaru's brows puckered for a split second. "Not urgent. Too important to need to be urgent."

"Perhaps you could get Naruto for me, Itachi-san," Sasuke suggested.

"No," Shikamaru insisted. "Better he see it too."

Itachi's intake of breath was like a hiss.

A flash of fear crossed Shikamaru's face; an uncensored response to Itachi's warning.

Sasuke could not remember ever seeing Shikamaru so unguarded. "Let it go, Itachi-san," he ordered, not breaking eye contact with Shikamaru. "Tell me, Shika."

Shikamaru's expression relaxed into one of trust. He pointed at the tablet's display.

"This is the definition of an Uchiha who can be clan leader. This is the definition of an Uchiha who can vote to amend the charter."

Sasuke read them. They were different.

"Are you sure?" Itachi asked.

"Yes," Shikamaru replied and began quoting sections of the clan charter and its amendments.

Both he and Itachi knew it by heart; their father had insisted that any full-blood Uchiha could recite it faultlessly by his or her eighth birth anniversary.

He left it to Itachi to argue it through with Shikamaru. Shika would be right; he always was.

Sasuke's eyes went back to the two definitions. Only full-blood Uchihas who were sworn to Uchiha could vote to amend the charter. A full-blood Uchiha had a genome that fell within certain parameters. Given that Itachi was excluded, there were only seven including Izuna.

The shock was the definition of who could be clan leader. It was older and simpler. The individual had to be recognised as an Uchiha at birth using the traditional naming ceremony, be at least fourteen standards in age and be sworn to Uchiha.

The kits and Tsuneo had been recognised at birth as Uchiha, alongside their full-blood Uchiha siblings.

Sasuke ran through all the amendments in his mind. There was one clarifying that adoption did not count, so Ryuu was still excluded. However at no point had the charter been amended so that it said that only a full-blood Uchiha could be clan leader.

It did not even say that the clan leader had to be purebred.

He flung his arms around Shikamaru and hugged him.

Shikamaru hugged back. Sasuke started to laugh and Shikamaru followed. They were jumping up and down on the spot like two children.

Then Sasuke saw Itachi's expression, stopped jumping and pushed Shikamaru to arms' length.

"When did you see it?"

"Garner Parrad put me onto it," Shikamaru admitted. "This morning."

"Sasuke-sama?" Itachi queried.

"We recognised the kits as Uchiha, at birth, in the full naming ceremony," Sasuke reminded him.

Itachi paused, thinking, and then smiled. It was not a nice smile; Sasuke calmed down and Shikamaru cowered slightly.

"Just imagining the outcome of Kazu-kun challenging Izuna-sama for the clan leadership," Itachi explained. "Not that I would ever wish it to get that far, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke understood. For Kazuki or one of the other kits to challenge, Izuna would have had to have challenged for the leadership and killed him.

"We need to get it right and be careful," Shikamaru warned.

"At least some of the kits will have to be sworn to Uchiha rather than you, Sasuke-sama," Itachi pointed out.

"It would probably be best to have one of them in the same system as you at all times," Shikamaru added.

"We still have to make it to the kits' fourteenth birth anniversary," Sasuke reminded them. "So no telling Izuna-sama for another seven divs. Otherwise he may start pursuing me in the hope of forcing a challenge before the kits are old enough to retaliate."

Itachi smiled again. This time Sasuke was ready for it. "Please, Sasuke-sama, allow me the privilege acquainting Izuna-sama with the reality of situation when the time comes."

"It would be my pleasure, Itachi-san."

They decided to tell only three people for now; Naruto, Kakashi and Neji.

"You might want to delay telling Na-chan until this evening," Shikamaru suggested.

Sasuke opened his mouth to ask why and then closed it with a snap as he realised what Shikamaru was implying.

It took all his willpower not to flush in front of Itachi.

Finishing commissioning the Elm took until late afternoon. Then they moved her to the compound. One of the advantages of the Elm over the Oak was that it was small enough for the station gunners to tolerate it being in the Uchiha private dock; at least for a few days.

Sasuke settled at the head of the table for the evemeal. Naruto was on his left, Asuma on his right and Haku, flanked by Kisame and Itachi, was opposite. Around the table were members of his extended family, some of whom he had not seen in far too long.

It felt good but it fuelled his resentment of Izuna. He should not have to stay away from his family home.

Hopefully Shikamaru had discovered a stand-off that Izuna could not afford to break.

The children left the table as soon as they had finished their dessert. Nagato ran to him for a goodnight hug, which was a surprise; he had thought that Nagato would have forgotten him.

Sasuke promised that he would see him the next day.

Within minutes of the children leaving, Sasuke gave Naruto's hand a squeeze and stood up.

"It is wonderful to be home and to see you all, but it has been a long, exhausting day and I hope that you will excuse us for retiring early."

Naruto gave him a questioning look but waited until they were in their room with the door closed behind them.

"I thought you would want to be with them all for longer," he pointed out.

Sasuke stepped close and tilted his head back. "Tomorrow. This evening I want to be with you, in our room."

Naruto gave a small growl and kissed him.

Sasuke broke the kiss and twisted away. "Bath," he declared. "I'll use the head first. You get it going." He walked toward the bathroom, shedding his outer clothes.

Naruto passed him and entered the bathroom. "Looks good," he called out. "Haku must have prepped it for us. There's fresh water in the tub and everything. It only needs heating up."

The water was warm enough by the time Sasuke had finished in the head and the shower. He slid into the water and sat so that he could watch Naruto in the shower.

Naruto was not putting on a show for him. He did not have to; just being Naruto would always be enough.

"I have something to tell you," Sasuke informed him as Naruto stepped into the tub.

Naruto's eyebrows and whiskers lifted. "I thought we were going to fuck."

"We are. This first. I cannot wait any longer to tell you."

He explained. Naruto listened carefully.

"If Izuna challenges you and kills you, any of the kits who are sworn to Uchiha can challenge him for the leadership," Naruto summarised.

Sasuke was disappointed. He had thought Naruto would be delighted. "Yes."

"But you'll still be dead," Naruto pointed out.

"We tell him before it gets that far," Sasuke assured him. "He knows that, if he kills me, my hybrid sons will challenge him, each of whom can rip his throat out without drawing breath. There is no point in being Uchiha-sama for the grand total of, what, three minutes? Even Izuna can see that."

Naruto thought about it and then smiled. "Yes, even Izuna can see that."

Sasuke smiled back. "Dobe."

"Teme," Naruto replied.

"Only another seven divs of this sneaking about," Sasuke pointed out. "Then Itachi will point out the reality of the situation. Once that has sunk in, Izuna and I can negotiate a solution that doesn't include him being Uchiha-sama but hopefully has him doing something productive."

Naruto whiskers twitched. It was the 'I'll believe that when I see it' twitch.

"Worst scenario, we dismantle the remainder of the Akatsuki, chase Orochimaru back into his pod, stop Izuna thinking about challenging for the leadership and go back to doing what we want to do."

"Raising our children and building new Uchiha," Naruto suggested.

Sasuke moved across the tub towards him. "Enjoying each other's company."

He straddled Naruto's lap and kissed him. They were chest to chest. Naruto parted his lips to grant Sasuke's tongue access.

Then, to his surprise, Naruto broke the kiss and wrapped both arms around Sasuke's back, hugging him close.

"Sometimes I just want to hold you," he admitted.

Sasuke could settle for some cuddling; at least for now. He laid his head on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto purred and nibbled his hair.

Maybe it was a fluffy-soft-Naruto day.

Then the nibbling and purring stopped and Sasuke realised that Naruto was too still and too quiet.

"I won't be there," he whispered. "Whatever happens, I won't see if Haru passes Garner Parrad's test and inherits Klennethon Darrent's fortune."

Sasuke froze. He would not think about that, never mind speak of it.

"I know you don't like thinking about it, but you are going to have to once in a while," Naruto warned. His voice shook slightly. "Just occasionally, when having to leave you all scares me and I need you."

All thought of avoidance vanished. Naruto needed him.

"You'll never leave us," Sasuke insisted.

Naruto tensed. Sasuke heard his intake of breath; the precursor of an argument.

"Because you'll be in every one of us," he explained. "In our memories and in what we created together. We have lived wrapped in your love and that will never fade. Never."

The arms around him relaxed and then tightened, hugging him closer. "Thank you," Naruto whispered.

"Always," Sasuke promised the both of them.

* * *

.


	57. Prospects

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, cynder81, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, superflaj, Sunshine 2400, Drago Imperiali, JustSomeGuy, starneko, melissen and donalgraeme for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

It is difficult to find enough time to write at the moment. Work and real life gets in the way. It makes such a difference to hear from readers.

I am very grateful to those who have written a review or sent an email and particular thanks to those who review regularly.

For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**57: Prospects**

* * *

.

* * *

Madara had been forced to rethink his strategy after the Orochimaru print had allowed Sasuke Uchiha and his purebred sons to escape. With no prospect of a convenient death, he had to fall back on wresting the leadership from Sasuke's grasp.

Then Sasuke had declared the vendetta before he had begun adapting to the new situation. Suddenly he was operating completely alone. A vendetta was a vendetta; one piece of evidence that he had communicated with the Akatsuki since the declaration and his life would be forfeit.

Without access to Karin, it had been fiendishly difficult to set up clandestine communications. He could not even trust the Stellar Exchange because, somehow, Shikamaru had known that a message had been sent to the Akatsuki from Tarrasade.

He had resorted to using tapes and a random choice from the many courier services available. It was slow but outside the data streams.

The sooner he could get rid of Shikamaru the better.

Which was why he was the guest of honour and after dinner speaker on a luxury liner.

He checked his appearance. His image nodded in satisfaction. It was the perfect balance of wealth and sophistication with just enough spacer to remind people that he was the Izuna Uchiha.

Ino was waiting for him in the inner receiving room of the suite. As instructed, she looked incredible. In the room beyond was Sumaru. He was dressed in the most formal version of the Uchiha uniform; rarely worn since Sasuke Uchiha had become clan leader. His tags matched Madara's earrings. Madara was not taking any chances; not even on a luxury liner without any spacers on the passenger list and crew members who were forbidden to challenge.

They walked through the outer room that was serving as an office. Sakura was at her desk. Her smile was a little forced. Madara suspected she resented Ino being promoted to escort for the trip.

Ino was the logical choice; she was more beautiful. Also, Madara would find having Sakura on his arm distracting. In a moment of weakness he might reveal the attraction he felt for her.

As he continually had to remind himself, Izuna Uchiha was only interested in men.

It was their first formal reception. Madara spotted his contact immediately; ageless, biosculpted to the Centralite idea of perfection and with the Central Civil Service pin in his lapel.

Madara resolved to ignore him, at least for now. He was aboard for two days; there was no rush.

Next was the banquet, followed by his slot as after dinner speaker. Madara enjoyed having so many rich and powerful people hanging on his every word.

He was less taken by having to be charming to them afterwards.

Then, unexpectedly, he was entering a small side lounge with a single occupant; the Centralite.

"Go and mingle," he instructed Ino. "Wait for me outside the door," he ordered Sumaru.

Sumaru did not hesitate, which was convenient but perhaps a little concerning given his role as bodyguard.

The door closed between them.

The Centralite stood. "Izuna Uchiha? I am Ector Bettencourt. I am here as a representative of the Central Civil Service."

Madara found his direct manner rude but told himself that he was no judge of Centralite manners. "Bettencourt-san," he acknowledged. He decided to take a seat.

Bettencourt sat opposite him but said nothing; Madara had no choice but to begin.

"I have some information that I believe will be of interest to Centre."

"Firsthand accounts of life a thousand standards ago are always interesting. I assure you that we are collecting everything you say most assiduously."

Was that a compliment or a threat? "Something else," Madara specified.

Bettencourt managed not to sneer. "It is unlikely that you have any other information that we would categorise as interesting."

"Not even the location of a typed-seven genius?" Madara countered.

There was a hairbreadth of hesitation before Bettencourt replied. "In our experience, non-Centralites rarely use typed-genius definitions correctly."

Madara shrugged. "I shall give you a name. You will make of it what you will. While he was alive, Klennethon Darrent protected this individual's identity."

"The name Klennethon Darrent is familiar to us," Bettencourt acknowledged. "What is the price of this information?"

He might have reacted differently if the offer had been more seemly but he was too proud to ask for credit. "There is no price. It is Shikamaru, who is sworn to Uchiha."

"Sasuke Uchiha's advisor," Bettencourt checked.

"Yes."

"I understand," Bettencourt replied.

Madara ignored the tendrils of doubt that simple response engendered.

Bettencourt stood. "Thank you for the information. I shall relay it to someone who can give it the consideration it deserves. It has been interesting meeting you, Izuna Uchiha."

Madara stood. "Likewise, Bettencourt-san."

* * *

.

* * *

Sasuke had forgotten what Naruto could be like when he started buying presents. Tamaki, the young woman who had helped them shop in the past, now worked for Naruto's charity Jizenkai. However Dengaku, the manager, had become expert at selecting young women with exactly the warm, welcoming, helpful manner that Naruto appreciated.

The three accompanying them excelled in making Naruto feel comfortable about spending eye-watering amounts of credit.

Luckily Haku was also with them or Sasuke would have had to ask Shikamaru for funds to settle his Hunundau account at the end of the div. Haku was doing an excellent job of making sure Naruto chose one of each item rather than being persuaded to take one of each colour or one in each size.

Then they visited the kimono department and even Haku's common sense vanished.

"We have a new buyer, Haku-san," Dengaku pointed out. "He has exquisite taste."

"I like that one," Naruto declared, pointing at a kimono that was more a work of art than a garment.

Sasuke imagined the cost and could not completely suppress a tiny whimper. Perhaps Haku would not like it, or it would not suit him.

A few minutes later both those possibilities had vaporised. Sasuke took a deep breath. He would just have to ask Shikamaru and then pay him back.

"Please add the cost of the kimono to my account, Dengaku-san, along with all the other items that we have picked out."

Dengaku's smile suggested relief and his bow was a little lower than Sasuke would have expected.

"What was up with Dengaku-san?" Sasuke asked Haku once they were in the shuttle with their purchases.

Haku's lips thinned. "Izuna-sama never pays for anything. He has become known for it. At first the shops and suppliers were pleased that the great Izuna Uchiha was a client, but now they dread him approaching them." He laid a hand on the box in his lap. "Are you sure about the kimono, Sasuke-sama? Was it very costly?"

Sasuke concentrated on how much Haku did for each and every member of Uchiha. "I refused to imagine it belonging to anyone else, Haku-san. It has found its home with you."

Once they had docked, Sasuke headed for his office but stopped at the door before. He pushed the announcer and waited; Shikamaru often took some time to answer if he was there alone.

He was on the edge of giving up when the door slid open, revealing Shikamaru at his desk but no sign of Neji.

"Finished shopping?" Shikamaru asked.

"Finally," Sasuke replied. "Shika-san..."

"I've moved things about so the domestic account can take the hit," Shikamaru assured him. "You should have worked out by now that Na-chan spends ten times as much if you are with him."

Sasuke had not made the connection. Maybe Naruto thought Sasuke would call a halt if he was spending too much.

"When he's on his own he worries about what you would say. When you are there you give him positive feedback so he keeps going," Shikamaru explained.

"He likes buying presents for people," Sasuke replied, defensively.

"That bad? Should I move some more funds?"

"One of the top of the line kimonos," Sasuke admitted. "Everything else was insignificant in comparison."

"Has he realised that the store has an 'intimate toys' section yet?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke paled at the thought of it. "No. At least I don't think so."

"C-san told Haku and Haku told me. You have to ask. It's very discreet but remarkably comprehensive." He spun his chair about and activated one of the projectors. "Do you want to see what they've got?"

"No," Sasuke stated firmly. He decided to change the subject. "Apparently Izuna never pays for anything."

Shikamaru shook his head. "It isn't like he hasn't the funds." He sighed. "The man is such a crushing disappointment."

Sasuke knew that he should disapprove of Shikamaru displaying his lack of respect. Of all people, Shika was the one most likely to step over the line and attract Izuna's ire. On the other hand, what he had said was so true. The great Izuna Uchiha, their hero, was so unrelentingly selfish. "Shika," he warned gently.

"I know," Shikamaru admitted. He shuddered. "Believe me, I know."

* * *

.

* * *

The space liner offered light speed communications whenever, like now, it was in a system with gate that contained a data relay.

Madara only had to speak the words 'activate' and 'news' for one of the tasteful pictures on the wall of his cabin to change to a display showing media feeds.

"Activate. News. Uchiha," he ordered.

To his surprise the first images were of Sasuke rather than him. Had there been a significant development in the vendetta? He checked he date and time; the broadcast was only a day old.

"_Sources confirm that Sasuke Uchiha arrived in Tarrasade the day before yesterday. A newly registered craft, the Elm, is now docked at the Uchiha compound, showing Uchiha colours. Our experts speculate that it is one of the new style small mother ships with the innovative miniature Mulligan drive."_

Madara's fury, usually bottled up and buried deep, threatened to break free. He had only told Ino, Sakura and Sumaru about the trip a few days in advance. Even if Sumaru had told Asuma immediately, as Madara had assumed he would, how had Sasuke managed to get to Tarrasade from a system at the end of a five jump string?

They must have a new, much shorter route; yet another example of the advantage that Shikamaru gave Sasuke Uchiha.

He forced himself to concentrate on what the presenter was saying.

"_Yesterday Sasuke Uchiha himself was spotted at Uchiha Headquarters and in the __Hunundau store. In addition, Naruto-san has visited the __Jizenkai offices in Level 1 as well as the Songen hospice and the Cho orphanage in Sublevel C."_

He watched the video clips avidly, but they only showed the fox hybrid.

"_We are delighted to announce that the award-winning journalist, Yukie Fujikaze, has arranged an exclusive interview with Sasuke Uchiha, which we will be showing tomorrow. Meanwhile, we welcome the highly respected commentator and writer, Shimon Hijiri, to discuss recent developments involving the Uchiha clan."_

Obviously the man had recovered from the accident the Akatsuki had arranged for him. The image changed to that of a solemn, formally-dressed man. Behind him was a split screen. On the left was an image of a dark-haired spacer that looked like it had been taken from a child's story book. On the right was a picture of a sad child that Madara at first thought was Haru but had dark eyes.

"_Izuna Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha as we first encountered them,"_ the man began. _"One a hero of the past. The other a bereaved child. And as they are now..."_ The images changed to show two strikingly similar men.

Madara had not realised how much he had come to resemble Izuna; had they really looked so similar? Then his eyes went to the image of Sasuke.

He looked different than Madara remembered: older; less forgiving; more determined.

"_Both these men see themselves as leader of the Uchiha clan. Izuna Uchiha founded the clan. Sasuke Uchiha saved it, rebuilding it when it had been all but obliterated._

"_So why, you may ask, can't they share the leadership? Or why, may you ask, is Sasuke Uchiha not willing to step aside into the role of heir out of respect for his illustrious predecessor?_

"_The answer, I suggest, is that they do not wish to lead Uchiha in the same direction."_

Madara sank down onto the nearest chair. This was different. Usually such programmes did not get past interviewing irrelevant plebs about whom they liked more. Once in a while so-called experts would debate which of them had a better claim to the leadership.

No one had dared speculate in public about who would make the better leader.

The Akatsuki should have killed Shimon Hijiri rather than putting him in a tank.

The man was continuing. Madara shut his eyes, imagining how many hundred thousands of people had already heard his words.

"_Sasuke Uchiha is a remarkable man. He actually believes that an individual should be judged on his or her merits. It appears that he will consider anyone: female or male; pureblood or hybrid; irrespective of parentage, not even caring if the individual had parents. He has even welcomed a Scavenger into his household and to his table._

"_In contrast, Izuna Uchiha is a traditionalist. Based on what he has said in his interviews and other broadcasts, he believes in a natural order. Men should care for women. Women care for children. Hybrids have been created by humans to serve. I imagine many of you agree with him._

"_A clan led by Izuna Uchiha would be like the Uchiha of the past. Given his record, it should be Uchiha at his historic peak: honourable; magnificent; implacable in its pursuit of excellence; a clan of traders turned warriors._

"_But a clan led by Sasuke Uchiha is an Uchiha for the future: flexible; innovative; making the most of individuals' potential; a clan of warriors turned builders."_

The man gave the smallest of smiles. _"So which do you favour?"_ He gestured first to one image and then the other. _"A fossil or a promise?"_

A fossil? Madara's fury burst free. He was on his feet and the nearest object, some ornament, had been hurled. The display shattered and shorted in a shower of sparks that left a lingering tang of ozone.

He needed his practice dummy; to strike and to crush.

Sakura appeared in the doorway. He surged towards her; intent on burying his hand in her ridiculous hair, dragging her to bed and fucking her senseless.

Maybe even to tighten his hands around that pale throat and see life fade from those unnatural green eyes.

As he had seen it extinguished in those two pairs of brown eyes; the ones he had hated and the ones he had so loved.

Only, before he could take two steps, she was gone and Death stood in her place. Icy fear stopped him in his tracks, quenching his molten rage.

"May I help, Izuna-sama?" Sumaru asked.

Somehow he knitted together the tattered remnants of his control. "The display exploded," he lied. "Please call a steward and have it replaced. I shall be going over this evening's talk in my bedroom."

He stalked away, through his bedroom and into the shower. Cold water soaked his clothes and hair, dissipating the residual heat of his anger.

He would claim what should have always been his. Then he would show them what a clan of warriors could do.

* * *

.

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Sasuke stood motionless as Haku checked him over. He was not nervous because they had everything under control. The interview would be recorded rather than broadcast live. Shikamaru and Neji would supervise the editing process. Yukie Fujikaze understood perfectly that this would lose her status of Uchiha's first choice interviewer if she stepped out of line.

Haku moved onto Naruto.

"I did not expect Shimon-san to endorse your leadership, Sasuke-sama," Neji observed.

Sasuke was ambivalent about Shimon Hijiri's analysis. Had he been accused of abandoning his clan's traditions? "Was it positive enough to be considered an endorsement?" he queried.

Naruto sniggered. "At least he didn't call you a fossil."

That was true; even 'promise' was better than 'fossil'.

"You'll do, Naruto-san," Haku declared. "No sitting down until you get to the couch."

It went well. Yukie Fujikaze pushed hard enough to make it lively but not so hard that they had to keep stopping and starting. Sasuke felt that he had got his points across about the leadership, the vendetta and why he had moved his family out of Tarrasade.

Naruto mentioned his various charities whilst favouring the cameras with smiles that Sasuke knew would do more good than anything either of them could say.

Once recording was complete, the four of them watched the footage before releasing it to the media channel for editing. It would be some time before the final version was returned to them for checking, so Sasuke decided to go to his office and work on his correspondence.

To his surprise, Moegi was outside in the corridor waiting for him.

"Moegi-san," he acknowledged, gesturing her into the room before him. "How can I help you?"

"Sasuke-sama," she replied. "I know you are busy but Sumaru has sent me a light-speed vid from the space liner. I didn't expect him to and I think the information in it is more for you than for me."

Sasuke was surprised. Sumaru was careful never to overstep the bounds of propriety; any information about Izuna was fed to Asuma during informal conversations.

He guessed that a video to Moegi was the long-distance equivalent.

"May I show it to Shika-san?" he asked.

Moegi relaxed a little and there was a suggestion of a smile. "Certainly. I shall send you a copy."

"Excellent," Sasuke acknowledged. "Would you like some tea, Moegi-san?"

"No thank you, Sasuke-sama; I have many tasks awaiting me in the infirmary."

Sasuke cast about for anything he should say. Then he remembered her weekly report and the information that Shikamaru had been drugged. "Thank you for your weekly reports. I have learned to read them most assiduously."

Her smile broadened. "You are welcome, Sasuke-sama. I am glad to be of some help." She turned slightly, hinting that she would like to leave.

Sasuke walked with her to the door. "Will we be seeing Udon-san at the evemeal again today?" he asked. "You know that Naruto and I always enjoy his company."

Moegi flushed slightly. "Thank you, Sasuke-sama. Yes, he will be there."

Once Moegi was gone, Sasuke settled at his desk. A copy of the video arrived within minutes; it must have been sent as soon as Moegi reached the infirmary. Sasuke activated the intercom.

"This is Sasuke. Shikamaru-san, if you are available I would like to see you in my office."

Shikamaru turned up surprisingly quickly; Sasuke guessed that he had caught him en route somewhere. He explained about the video and then they watched it together.

Sasuke could not help smiling. It was so funny to see Sumaru pretending to be sending a 'wish you were here' message to Moegi.

"No long-short or other code," Sasuke observed. "Not that I expected any."

Shikamaru did not respond, which drew Sasuke's attention. He was pale and his face was expressionless; an indication that he was off somewhere in his mind.

"Shika?" he queried. It had no effect. "Shika!"

Shikamaru was suddenly back. He claimed Sasuke's interface. "This bit," he explained and replayed one section.

"_There is even a Centralite here. I know he is one because he has a Civil Service pin in his lapel. He and Izuna-sama spoke but I did not get to hear how he talked or what he said, which was a bit disappointing."_

"There was a private meeting between Izuna-sama and this Centralite," Shikamaru pointed out. "One where secrecy was so important that Izuna-sama sent Sumaru out of the room."

Sasuke understood; meeting with the Centralite could have been innocent, but sending Sumaru away meant that it was not.

"There are only two things Uchiha has that Centre would want," Shikamaru continued.

His gut clenched. Centre was obsessed by typed-geniuses; if they knew of Shikamaru and Haru's existence they would want them.

For the first time Sasuke wondered if Izuna was unhinged. No one in the Fringe ever did anything to attract Centre's attention. Spacer folklore was littered with stories of Centre deciding that a group was acting against Centralites' interests and destroying it. As Centre did not place any value on non-Centralite lives, the solution usually involved sanitising planets or eliminating space stations.

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru whispered.

"I won't let them take you," Sasuke insisted.

"Yes you will," Shikamaru told him. "You must. Anything else would be crazy." He took a deep breath. "I think Izuna will have only mentioned me. He's tried to gain control of me and failed so he's decided to eliminate me. If Centre takes me, I'll do what Klenn did. I'll volunteer for the Central Civil Service. I will be back after ten standards."

"But..."

"If we resist, they will look more deeply. They will find Haru. They might decide that they need to make a show of strength. They could eliminate Tarrasade."

Shikamaru was right, Sasuke knew that. Ten standards; the children would be grown up; Naruto would be...

He cut off that line of thought.

"You might not survive what they do to you," he whispered. "Or they might lock you up so tight that you can't get to a Civil Service recruiting office."

"Or they might underestimate me," Shikamaru reminded him. "They will have annoyed me," he added.

Having Shikamaru annoyed with you was unwise; Sasuke recalled what had happened to the Snuffers. He imagined Centre disintegrating from the inside out because Shikamaru had got into their systems.

On the other hand, Centre might realise, like Pein had, that containing Shikamaru was easy. All you had to do was threaten the people he loved.

Shikamaru would serve the Centralites for the rest of his life if that was the only way of keeping his family safe.

"It's Centre. Maybe they won't believe him," Shikamaru suggested.

Even if it did not seem very likely, it was a consoling thought.

"Maybe we are wrong," Sasuke suggested. "Maybe that's not what Izuna said to him."

"Maybe," Shikamaru agreed.

Only Sasuke knew that neither of them believed that.

* * *

.

* * *

The display screen has been replaced by the time Madara had given his second and final after-dinner speech. He activated it immediately, wanting to watch Yukie Fujikaze's interview with Sasuke Uchiha as soon as it was available.

"Activate. News. Sasuke Uchiha."

It came up immediately.

"Show," he ordered.

It was the usual drivel. Sasuke was sitting on the familiar leather couch with the fox hybrid beside him. The woman asked her inane questions and they gave their insignificant answers.

One thing was interesting; Sasuke's physique. Even with him seated, there was no missing how much he had changed.

So Sasuke was expecting him to challenge. He had been training for it.

Would Sasuke initiate it? For a moment Madara allowed himself to imagine Sasuke challenging him when he jumped through the gate into the Tarrasade system.

If only; no, Sasuke would be long gone before Madara returned, using the vendetta to distract from his cowardly retreat.

He wondered about Sasuke's strategy. Was it to stay away from Tarrasade forever? Or was he waiting until Hikaru and Haru were old enough, strong enough and trained enough to threaten to challenge?

How long would that be? Madara could imagine Hikaru being a formidable knife fighter by the time he was twenty.

Six-and-a-half standards; could Sasuke avoid him for that length of time?

Waiting that long made sense. Sasuke would get to spend the next six standards with his family. He would see his younger children into adolescence.

The fox hybrid would probably be dead by then.

If Madara won, which he was sure he would, Hikaru would challenge immediately. Even if Madara won that challenge, Haru could follow up.

Madara was not sure he could win three successive challenges.

No, he would have to force a challenge well before Sasuke's sons were strong enough to face him.

* * *

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* * *

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	58. Mission

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, superflaj, Sunshine 2400, JustSomeGuy, starneko, melissen, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme, cynder81, and The Only Love For Soujiro Seta for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**58: Mission**

* * *

Haru had assured Hikaru that he could hack into the control system for Shi-chan's level. He, Kazuki and Keizo were on the outer surface, suited. Keizo had removed one of the maintenance access panels and now Haru was trying to connect the interface he had brought with him.

It was proving remarkably difficult when wearing gauntlets. It had been much easier in the simulations.

His radio clicked.

"_This is Keizo. Haru..."_

"I'm fine," Haru insisted. "Give me a bit longer."

Even if he managed it, they couldn't be sure of success. The control unit couldn't be activated by the tiny power cell in Haru's interface; he was relying on the dedicated power plant still being operational.

"_This is Hikaru."_

Haru sighed. He wished Keizo had kept quiet. Now Hikaru was getting jumpy.

"_Kazuki," _Hikaru continued. _"Report please."_

"_This is Kazuki. Everything is going to plan. The connection is just a bit tricky."_

Haru made himself relax and finally managed to splice the connectors together. He pinged the control unit and waited. The delay seemed endless but, just as he deciding it was not going to work, he received confirmation that a connection had been made.

"This is Haru. I am in. I am connecting the data array to record the outcomes of the diagnostic programmes."

Haru launched the programmes and then tried to monitor their progress as data streamed across the twenty character screen that was built into the interface.

He resolved to customise a helmet for his next mission. Maybe he could design and build some special gauntlets.

Finally he had all the data they had planned to collect. Haru disconnected the interface, stowed the data array in his backpack and signalled to Ka-chan that he was ready to return to the Lancet.

Kakashi-san had given them use of the Silver Leaf and the Lancet with a skeleton crew for each: Misora, Ryuka and Isaribi for the Lancet; Five, Keitaro and Ran for the Silver Leaf. Hikaru's team was investigating the condition of the jettisoned level using the Lancet. Kuuya's team were on the Silver Leaf, clearing a route along which the level could be towed back to Skyburrow.

Hoshi, Yuki and Ayame were running mission control in Skyburrow.

Haru has been torn. He was needed on Hikaru's mission, but clearing debris impacted on his search for Sai. He had settled for making Kuuya promise to collect the junk rather than using it for target practice.

The Lancet was close by; they were soon in the airlock. Keizo and Haru lowered their helmets as soon as the lock pressurised but Kazuki hesitated. Haru knew why. Bottled air did not smell of Ryuka but, even with the air scrubbers turned up, the ship did.

"I don't think you're going to get over it," Keizo pointed out when Kazuki finally opened his helmet; Ka-chan had given up trying to hide his addiction to Ryuka's scent.

Kazuki sniffed the air and gave a small whimper.

"You should at least get to know her. Give her a chance," Kei-chan added.

"You sound like Ran," Haru complained.

"That's because Ran talks a lot of sense," Keizo replied. "As you well know."

Haru felt himself flush.

He decided to concentrate on getting the data into a form that the others could appreciate. He made his way to the meeting room, one corner of which had been set up for him to work. He connected the data array to his system and had been at it for a while when he felt someone behind him.

It was Hikaru. Haru stiffened. "It'll take time."

Hi-chan pulled up a chair and sat down. "I know. I'm interested. I thought I would see how you were doing."

He decided to give Hikaru the benefit of the doubt.

"Kei-chan, Ka-chan and Ry-chan are mucking about," Hikaru added. "You know what they're like."

Haru did. The other two were probably trying to cheer Ka-chan up. He could imagine all the shoulder punching, pranks and bawdy remarks.

Hikaru watched him in silence for a few minutes before asking, "So what's between Ka-chan and Ryuka?"

"He fancies her but they annoy each other," Haru summarised.

"I expect they'll end up together," Hikaru speculated. "I mean, she obviously likes him. You can tell from the way she looks at him."

Gossiping with Hi-chan was weird and strangely irresistible. "I thought she liked Ry-chan."

"She did, but now all the sideways looks are in Ka-chan's direction."

Maybe Ryuka, like Kazuki, was just worrying about how to handle the involuntary attraction.

"It would be a good thing, wouldn't it?" Hikaru asked. "I mean, she's cute in a fierce way and Ka-chan is never going to want to fuck anyone without breasts."

Haru wondered if Hikaru found females attractive; it was rare among full-blood Uchiha males but not unknown.

"Ha-chan?" Hikaru pushed.

"He doesn't love her," Haru complained.

Hi-chan shrugged.

The shrug annoyed him. What was Hi-chan suggesting? That love did not matter? How could anyone raised by To-chan and Papa think that? Haru concentrated on pouring the data he had processed into the simulation he had prepared.

"It's ready," he announced.

"Really? Great. I'll get the others."

Misora and Isaribi arrived as well as Keizo, Ryuu and Kazuki. Haru wondered if he should have checked through the simulation before saying he was finished. What if it didn't run?

Then it started and he relaxed; it was operating exactly as he had planned.

Amazingly, many of the trees were still alive; they knew because Shi-chan had a small diagnostic unit embedded in each one.

Haru called up charts to show the conditions since the level had been jettisoned. The atmosphere had never been completely lost and the temperature had stayed high enough to protect the structural integrity of the trees.

He studied the data from the diagnostic units. "It looks like the trees shut down."

"Like they would in winter," Ryuka stated from the doorway.

The others turned to look at her.

"Didn't you say they were birches?" she asked.

"Silver birches," Hikaru clarified.

"Birches are deciduous. They lose all their leaves and shut down in winter."

"You know about trees?" Misora asked.

"It was part of the job I was meant to do," Ryuka told them. "Each time the forester got to twenty-five, the next one was bought to be raised and trained by the one before.

"A few standards after I arrived the purebred who owned the forest died and her son did not care about it or us. There wasn't going to be another forester for me to raise and train, so when the old forester died I ran away to the city before my owner decided to sell me."

Haru had never thought much about what Ryuka had done before she was on the Ninken. He had just assumed that she had grown up on the streets of some town, like Ran, or on a space station, like To-chan or Five.

Instead she had started out living in a forest. It made Haru realise that he knew nothing about her.

He stole a look at Kazuki. As Haru had expected, he was studying Ryuka. He looked serious and older; very unlike Ka-chan.

Maybe Hikaru was right. As annoying as Ryuka was now, she had been raised by Kiba-san, she was clever, had breasts and apparently she was cute. Even if she didn't have many of the skills they valued, she knew about trees. Ka-chan thought she smelled good.

He had to give her a chance.

"Maybe you could be our tree expert, Ryuka-kun," he suggested.

She flushed slightly. Her whiskers dipped and it looked like her ears might follow but she managed to keep them forward and tilted up her chin. "I don't know about being an expert, but I'd like to help."

So she and Haru ended up sitting together going over the seven divs' worth of data that had been recorded since the Oak's destruction.

"I don't think I can help," Ryuka told him. "If I could see the tree, touch it and smell it, I could tell you how it was doing. These are just numbers."

Haru could see that. "If we were in Skyburrow I could load the data into my simulator," he told her. "Maybe I can get at least a visual for you."

"Like the simulators I use to learn about handling ships?" Ryuka checked.

"Yes, but more flexible." He cobbled together chunks of Shi-chan's birch tree simulation with the data from the diagnostic units. "Try that."

She pointed to the data set for a tree and the projector generated a three-dimensional image that illustrated its condition.

"It's a lot better than numbers," she admitted. She looked at him. "You can do stuff like this because you are so clever."

Haru concentrated on the screen. "Everyone is particularly good at different things. I'm particularly good with numbers and solving problems."

"I'm not particularly good at anything," Ryuka replied.

"Yes you are," Haru insisted. "You just haven't realised what it is yet. Maybe it's trees or maybe it's one of those things that are hard to pin down. Like To-chan. He makes people realise they are special and it makes them better at everything they do."

"Naruto-san," Ryuka whispered. "You are so lucky to have been raised by him."

"Yes," Haru agreed.

They worked in silence for a bit. Ryuka scored each tree on a one-to-five scale where one was healthy and five was dying. Starting with the worst affected, they worked backwards through the data to the point when the damage occurred. Then Haru looked to see what had been happening in the environment.

The two most detrimental factors seemed to be loss of artificial gravity and high levels of acceleration. At one point, near the beginning, the two had happened together and about a fifth of the trees had been so badly damaged that they had slowly died.

Luckily the autonomous control system had kept working and the artificial gravity had been re-established.

Haru checked the power profile. The level didn't have anywhere near enough solar collectors. Instead it had been draining the inbuilt emergency power cells, which were nine-tenths empty. He doubted that the environment inside the level could have been maintained for another div.

He made a note to replace them as well as designing and installing an additional array of solar collectors.

"Why?" Ryuka whispered.

"Why what?"

"Have woods on a spacecraft. It's..." she trailed off.

"Shi-chan likes trees. Also, he thought we needed somewhere to run about and play. He was brought up on a planet."

"Shikamaru-san," Ryuka checked.

He nodded.

"You don't look like him."

Someone must have told her that Shi-chan was his genetic parent. "I look like Papa," he agreed.

"Kazuki and the others, they are clones of Naruto-san," Ryuka checked.

"Yes."

"Will they grow up to be like him?"

Haru was about to mention epigenetic variation but then he remembered how much Ryuka admired To-chan and that Kazuki might decide he liked her. "In many ways," he replied. "I don't think Ka-chan's ever going to be that tall, though."

Ryuka stared at him for a moment and then giggled. "Or lose his tail."

"Or his ears," Haru added.

"And he's silver rather than gold."

"But in lots of ways he is like To-chan," Haru insisted, which was, when he thought about it, true.

Hikaru called a conference. They set up live links between Skyburrow, the Lancet and the Silver Leaf. Kotetsu-san, Izumo-san and Kakashi-san were invited to participate.

Haru presented his findings about conditions within the level, including how important it was not to interrupt the artificial gravity or subject the surviving trees to high acceleration. Kuuya then showed the route.

They decided not to disturb the trees; Ryuka said that it would be best to keep them dormant until they could care for them properly.

Working from the outside, they would connect extra power cells and install a wireless interface so that they could operate the control unit from a distance. Then they would move the whole structure to Skyburrow.

Kotetsu-san was proposing using rocket units rather than towing.

It made sense. It would give them finer control and, if they left the rocket units attached, they would be able to move the woods again if it proved necessary.

They had salvaged over seventy rocket units from the wreckage of the Oak; they had more than they could possibly need.

Kakashi-san agreed with them that they should push forward while Papa was away. Kotetsu-san would pack a delivery drone with power cells, connectors and anything Haru needed to build the wireless interface. As soon as the power cells arrived, Keizo, Kazuki, Ryuu and Hikaru would begin connecting them.

Then, once the wireless interface was ready, Haru would connect it and phase one would be complete.

Meanwhile, the Silver Leaf would return to Skyburrow and prepare for phase two, fitting the rocket units.

It was hard work. Keizo trained Ryuu, Kazuki and Hikaru to connect the power cells while Haru built as much as of the wireless control unit that he could without the missing components. Once the drone arrived, Haru managed to finish building the interface before the team outside had finished installing the power cells.

Ka-chan came back to the Lancet to escort him over. This time Haru had built in push and clip connectors. Within minutes he was running diagnostics; testing the wireless interface and checking that all the power cells were operational.

Safely back in the Lancet's airlock, Haru leaned against the bulkhead. He could feel his eyes closing, even before the pumps shut off.

Next thing he knew he was sitting on a bench with his helmet down and Isaribi crouched opposite him. Ryuu, Keizo and Kazuki were hovering anxiously.

Hikaru wasn't; he was over the other side of the room, stripping off his suit as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"Can you hear me Haru-kun?" Isaribi asked.

Haru nodded. "I'm fine."

"That's good," Isaribi acknowledged. "Now take your suit off so I can check you over."

"Shall we bring him to the infirmary?" Ryuu asked.

"No, here will be fine."

Isaribi only took a few minutes to confirm that it was exhaustion.

"You must not push yourself past your limits, Haru-kun. It increases the risk to yourself and those around you."

Haru flushed. He would have to work out a way of getting a stim for next time.

"At least you were not reckless enough to take a stimulant," Isaribi continued. "If you had done, I would have felt it necessary to bring it to Iruka-san's and Rin-san's attention." She smiled. "You will be fine after a few days of rest."

In two days they would be back in Skyburrow. Spending most of the trip curled up in his bunk didn't seem such a bad idea.

Haru slowly pulled on his clothes as Isaribi packed up her medical kit. Keizo was checking over their tools, Ryuu was collecting the stuff that needed recycling and Ka-chan was hanging the suits in the sanitizer. Hikaru was still at the far side of the room; apparently unconcerned about Haru's minor crisis.

Then Isaribi left and Hikaru finally turned around.

"You all right?" he asked.

Haru was confused for a moment but then he saw Hi-chan's expanded pupils. He'd taken a stim. No wonder he had lurked at the far side of the room while Isaribi had been there. "I'm fine," he replied.

Ryuu gave a small growl, registering his disapproval of Hikaru's behaviour.

"You heard what Isaribi-kun said," Keizo warned.

Hikaru shrugged, Ryuu growled again and Kazuki rolled his eyes.

Haru was too tired to join in.

He spent most of the journey back to Skyburrow sleeping, only leaving his bunk to eat, catch up on the data his search drones were sending back and check on the output from the new wireless interface.

There were no new leads about Sai but the wireless interface was working well.

Once they were docked, waiting for the bay to pressurise, Haru caught himself fretting. Would Ran come to the docking bay to greet him? Perhaps he was on watch or on duty in the infirmary. Surely he would be there if he could be?

Haru would definitely try to be there if Ran was docking. What did it mean if Ran didn't feel the same way?

Then the airlock opened. Haru hung back, allowing Keizo, Kazuki and Ryuu to go first, followed by Hikaru. Then Misora gestured him forward and he had no option other than walking through the airlock and down the gangplank.

Ran was there, of course he was; Haru felt like an idiot for doubting him.

He hurried over only to slow down as he approached. Ran smiled and opened his arms, inviting a hug. Haru wrapped his arms around Ran's chest and Ran pulled him tight. It felt good; really good.

Not only had Ran been there to meet him, but he had moved his duties about so that he and Haru could spend the rest of the afternoon and the evening together.

They invited Kazuki and he decided to hang out with them after the evemeal but not before.

Within minutes they had dumped Haru's pack in his room and were sitting on Ran's bed. Haru filled Ran in on everything that had happened. Ran listened carefully, as he always did.

"So you bonded a bit with Hikaru and discovered that Ryuka is not as awful as you thought she was," Ran summarised.

Trust Ran to be only interested in the people-stuff. "What about you?" Haru asked.

"I think Yuki might be succeeding in distracting Five from his plan to wait for you and me."

Haru was not surprised. Yuki had set out to make himself irresistible. "Do you mind?" Haru asked.

Ran thought about it. "No. Do you?"

"No." As attractive as Five was, Haru would prefer to have Ran to himself. Then he realised that Ran was studying him. "What?"

"I think I can live with a tendency to be possessive."

Haru flushed. "Good."

"Not jealousy. I can't live with that. It's ugly."

"I know," Haru admitted.

They ended up going to Haru's workshop before the evemeal; Haru was jumpy about not having checked the link to the wireless interface.

Haru didn't know he called it his workshop rather than his laboratory. It served the same purpose as his laboratory in Tarrasade. Like his laboratory, it was between Shi-chan's and In-san's. It even had a plant that hated Haru; En-san had insisted on replacing the one that had died on the Oak.

At one side were his desk and his simulator that Shi-chan had brought with him from Tarrasade. On the other was his simulator from the Oak, which had been salvaged and he was repairing.

Ran went over and started talking to the plant, while Haru connected his data array and started integrating the new data and programmes. Then he contacted Keitaro and asked him to dedicate a channel for the wireless interface.

Within twenty minutes he was satisfied. The wireless interface was working perfectly and he had a simulation of what was happening in the woods that could be wound back to any time over the previous seven divs.

That done, he updated his search for Sai. Nine Sai-sized, Sai-shaped objects had been located. Six of them had been checked out by probes and dismissed. Haru did not hold out much hope for the other three.

He would check the junk that Kuuya's team had collected but he knew that Ran had already looked it over and found nothing.

Maybe Sai was truly gone; vaporised without a trace.

Ran's hand on his shoulder. "If anyone can find him, you will," he said softly. Then he turned Haru around in his chair. "Meal time. Ir-chan will give me one of his reproachful looks if we are late."

All the adolescents and adults were there, even those on watch, but none of the children. Usually that meant there was an announcement.

Sure enough, Kakashi-san asked Choza and his helpers to join them at the table for a few minutes before the meal began.

"We are closing in on Kabuto and therefore, possibly, on the original Orochimaru and on Pein," he told them. "Sasuke-sama will be taking the Elm to join the hunt. The Dart will depart this evening. I shall be on it and with me will be Inryoku-san, Enerugi-san, Shizune-san and Misora-kun. Asuma-san and Misora-kun will then bring the Dart back."

"Between my departure and Asuma-san's arrival, Dan-san will be in command here.

"It is uncertain how long Sasuke-sama, Naruto-san and Shikamaru-san will be gone so this may be tough on the triplets and on Sumiko-chan. We expect you youngsters to step up and help Kiba-san care for them."

Haru wondered about Naomi. She could not go with Hamaki, Terai and Fu any more than the triplets could be with Papa and To-chan. Others must have been thinking the same thing because Yuki asked and Kakashi-san told him that Naomi was staying with Haku-san in Tarrasade.

Then Hoshi asked about Hinata-san and the baby.

Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-san exchanged looks and Kakashi-san nodded.

"Hinata-san has decided to return to her family on Hyuga," Iruka-sensei told them. His tone was neutral but his expression hinted at the outrage Haru suspected he might feel.

"Just for a visit?" Ayame checked.

"No, she will be living on Hyuga," Iruka-sensei clarified.

"But what about the baby?" Kuuya asked.

Iruka-sensei took a deep breath. "Neji-san has agreed with Hinata-san that the baby will be best off with his or her mother, so the baby will live on Hyuga with Hinata-san." He looked to Choza. "Shall we begin the meal, Choza-san? We would not want it to spoil."

"You knew," Ran observed quietly once they had all served themselves and people were beginning to eat.

"Su-chan told me but she wasn't meant to," Haru replied.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, listening in on the conversations around the table, which were split between discussing hunting the Akatsuki and what had happened between Neji-san and Hinata-san.

Yuki was incensed about Hinata-san and the baby. His eyes were flashing and his whiskers were twitching with agitation. Haru watched him talking passionately to Hoshi and Ayame; gesturing with his hands so that his kimono sleeves fell back exposing his delicate wrists.

Ran nudged Haru under the table and indicated Five with his fork.

Five's eyes were riveted on Yuki.

Haru had to admit that Yuki was worth looking at. He had grown his fur into a magnificent mane. Like the rest of the litter, Haru had asked to touch it. It felt like silk; purebred hair was coarse in comparison. Today he had the front restrained into plaits that had blue ribbon woven into them. The rest flowed down his back.

He had done something to his eyelashes, Haru wasn't sure what, so they seemed longer and curled more. His eyes were further enhanced with some subtle application of colour.

The kimono he was wearing had blue in the pattern; the same blue as his eyes and the ribbons in his hair. Underneath, Haru knew, he had taken to wearing a sleeveless vest and very tight pants.

It was amazing how many day-to-day tasks required him to take off his kimono, particularly when Five was about.

After the meal he, Ran and Kazuki went to Ran's room. They talked about the mission, the choice Hinata-san had made and Yuki's campaign to attract Five's attention.

"What about you and Ryuka?" Ran asked Kazuki once the conversation about Yuki and Five had petered out.

Ka-chan bristled. "There is no me and Ryuka."

Ran shrugged. "If you want to lie to yourself, that's up to you."

"I'm not..." Kazuki gave up. "I don't know what is happening with me and Ryuka," he admitted. "Ryuu and Kuuya keep pointing out to me that she has stopped flirting with them, but I don't know if that isn't just shock after what happened."

"Even Hikaru thinks the two of you might suit each other," Haru told him.

"Hi-chan?" Ka-chan gave a little whimper. "Is everyone talking about us?"

"No more than they are talking about Yuki and Five," Ran assured him. "It would help if we could get to know what Ryuka was thinking. Does she talk to any of the girls?"

Haru didn't think so. He shook his head. Kazuki looked glum.

"Then it's down to you, Haru," Ran decided.

"Me?" Haru was horrified.

"Yes. You teach her mathematics. She's working with you on the woods. You've told her you're male-only so there's no possibility of a misunderstanding. She knows you know about what happened in the kitchen, so if she's going to confide in anyone, you're the obvious choice."

"I am?" Haru queried.

Ka-chan was looking at him hopefully.

"I'll try," Haru promised, even though his toes curled with embarrassment at the mere thought of it.

After considering his options, Haru invited Ryuka to try out the simulation of the woods. He explained that his simulator was both the best and the only one hardwired to his system, so she would have to come to his workshop.

Within seconds he was wishing that he had thought it through more carefully.

"I have to take my clothes off?" Ryuka queried.

Haru felt himself flush. "There are loads of sensors and they have to be able to touch your skin," he explained. Then, belatedly, he realised that she was teasing him. She had said she had used the standard simulators, so she knew she had to strip. "I'll wait in the corridor if you like," he offered.

"No need," she told him and after blur of movement she was standing in front of him in the tiniest pair of panties and nothing else.

Part of Haru was pleased that he didn't respond any differently than he would to seeing Hoshi naked. The rest of him imagined how Ka-chan would react if he caught Haru looking at the infamous 'titties'.

"Climb in," he instructed.

At least she was impressed by both simulator and simulation; particularly the sounds and the smells.

"If it wasn't for the flicker, it would be nearly perfect," she told him as she dressed.

"Flicker?" he queried.

She dipped her ears, apologising for criticising. "My eyes are different to yours."

Haru prided himself on making his simulations work for hybrids as well as purebreds, like Shi-chan did. "I'll look into it," he promised.

They talked about the trees for a while. Then Haru suggested a mathematics session and Ryuka agreed. Before he knew it, Haru realised that Ryuka's concentration was waning and he hadn't even edged towards mentioning Kazuki.

Trouble was, he didn't have any idea where to start.

Maybe he would have more success next time.

He was winding things up when Ryuka, unexpectedly, took the initiative.

"You and Kazuki are close," she stated, studying him with suddenly fierce eyes.

"Yes," Haru agreed. His pulse rate was soaring. What was she going to say? What if he mucked it up for Ka-chan?

"What should I do if I want to get to know him better?"

It was a good start. The problem was, Haru didn't have a clue. "Do things together?" he suggested before remembering that the way she smelled drove Ka-chan wild. "Maybe in space suits?" he added before he could stop himself. "Or in a really well ventilated large space?"

She was staring at him as if he was crazy.

Haru made himself think. Shi-chan's level was huge; Ryuka's scent would be diluted. "Maybe work together on the trees," he proposed. "Once we bring the level in. You said that we should look over the trees and perhaps trim the dead bits off before we brought them out of hibernation."

She considered and then nodded. "I shall ask Kazuki for help with pruning the trees."

Haru congratulated himself for salvaging the situation.

Once Ryuka had gone, he decided to look into the flicker. To his surprise, there was a tiny oscillation in the intensity of the light. He solved the problem by adding a component that smoothed out the voltage.

Only he couldn't forget about it. It bugged him. His mind kept going back to it: when he was on kitchen duty; while eating his meal; in the middle of the night.

Finally he gave up trying to go sleep and switched on the light. He was sure the oscillation had not been there when the simulator had been in his laboratory in Tarrasade; Kazuki had tried it more than once and he would have mentioned it.

So either the oscillation had been caused by something Shi-chan had done to the simulator, which seemed unlikely, or it was in the simulation itself.

Haru checked the chronometer; it was midway between midnight and station's dawn. He sighed. It was hopeless. He might as well go to his workshop and investigate.

Many tests later, he had made progress tracking it down. It was associated with the wireless interface he had connected to Shi-chan's level. If he disabled the radio link, it vanished.

It still didn't make sense. He had tested the wireless interface on the Lancet before installing it. He had the test data. There was no oscillation.

It had to be coming from the control unit. Perhaps a component had been slightly damaged.

He checked the chronometer. If he stopped now he could get some sleep. He had a busy day ahead of him; he needed to be rested.

On the other hand, he had a way of checking whether it was a component in the control unit. He had run a full diagnostic during his first space walk.

It wasn't a component in the control unit.

In the end he had to give up because he was on breakfast duty. He went back to his room, dragged himself through the shower and pulled on fresh clothes.

Hoshi gave him a look but didn't comment. Misora was too caught up in cooking to notice.

The triplets were first and Haru could see that he wasn't the only one who hadn't slept. Takara was being mean, Teruko was snivelling and even Tsuneo was grouchy. There was no sign of Sumiko.

Kiba-san looked like he was on the verge of growling.

"Maybe you could go and wake Su-chan," Hoshi whispered.

"Me?" Haru queried.

"I shall get Sumiko-chan," Kiba-san told them, his tone ominous.

After that it went downhill quickly. Sumiko refused to come out of her room. Takara did something, Haru missed what, and Tsuneo started to cry.

Tsu-chan almost never cried. This time he was doing it with a vengeance. He began wailing, "I want To-chan, I want To-chan."

Haru wished he had locked himself in his room, like Sumiko.

Then, thankfully, Iruka-sensei arrived and things began to improve. Yoshimi and Yasushi were recruited to cheer up Tsuneo and Teruko, Takara was sent to her room and Iruka-sensei persuaded Kiba-san to give up on Sumiko until after breakfast.

Next thing Haru knew all the duties had been moved around. He was with Ran, looking after the triplets and Sumiko, while Kiba-san had a morning to himself.

He didn't have the energy to object. Anyway, if he did, he would only draw Iruka-sensei's attention to how tired he was.

It wasn't too bad. At first they only had Teruko and Tsuneo, who were content to play together. When Sumiko joined them she sat in a corner sulking with a tablet in front of her. Finally Kazuki, of all people, turned up with Takara.

Ta-chan and Te-chan played make-believe while Ka-chan tussled with Tsu-chan.

"What's wrong?" Ran asked.

Haru rambled on about the oscillation until he realised that he was repeating himself.

"Why is it bugging you?" Ran asked.

It was an excellent question. Why was it bugging him? Why hadn't he been content with removing the flicker from the simulation?

Why was he so intent on finding the source?

Suddenly he was on his feet.

"Cover for me," he asked.

Ran did not question him; he just nodded.

Haru ran to his workshop. The one thing he hadn't done was analyse the oscillation. When he thought about it, all he knew was that it was very high frequency.

His hands were trembling as he slowed it down; ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, a million times. Yes, within each oscillation there was a repeating pattern.

It was the long-short for 'Haru'.

* * *

...


	59. Lost

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, JustSomeGuy, starneko, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, donalgraeme, superflaj, melissen and kaname-luvr for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**59: Lost**

* * *

Shikamaru knew what he should have done. He should have walked into the tiny office that the Central Civil Service maintained in Tarrasade and applied to join. That way he would have to give ten standards to the CCS rather than the rest of his life to the scientists at the Institute of Psychology on Centre One.

More importantly, Haru would be safer that way, as would his whole family. Tarrasade itself would be at less risk.

Only he could not bring himself to do it. He was too weak. He could not leave the people he loved, even though doing so would keep them safe.

Now it was too late. They were on the Elm, cutting a new route to the Far Fringe system where Uchiha was closing the net around the remains of the Akatsuki.

Everything indicated that this should be the endgame. Even if Orochimaru escaped and managed to go into long-term stasis, they still had every chance of catching Kabuto. Kabuto's body still contained the transponder assembled from the nanobot components Shino had slipped into his drink fourteen standards before.

Maybe, if they interrogated Kabuto, they could find out what had happened to Pein.

His gaze went to Neji, who was still sleeping. When with others, Neji maintained the pretence that he was coping. Alone or with Shikamaru, he was lost, depressed, confused and exhausted.

Shikamaru did what he could. He was there, in contrast to Hinata, who was not. Fifteen standards of familiarity helped. It anchored Neji to his crew; his family. It stopped him drifting away to places in his mind where, Shikamaru knew, he had resolved never to return.

Would Hinata done differently if she had known about Neji's past? Would appreciating his fragility have changed her decision?

Shikamaru doubted it.

He leaned over and placed a kiss on Neji's temple. That, combined with the sounds of Shikamaru washing and dressing, would be enough to wake him.

Usually Shikamaru started each day by checking the communications that had arrived during ship's night. This morning, like the two that had preceded it, there would be none; they were traversing a gateless system.

He hated being cut off from the data streams. Despite his determination not to dwell on it, his gaze strayed to the chronometer.

There were two hundred and fifteen minutes until they jumped into a gated system with a light speed data relay.

He headed for the galley to help Naruto with breakfast. Sasuke normally asked Neji to queen the crew when neither Iruka nor Haku was aboard. This time he had not. It was sensible, because Neji was struggling, but unfortunate, because it contributed to Neji's feelings of inadequacy.

Instead Naruto was filling the role, even though he baulked at being given the title.

It worked; even Terai and Fu were on time for meals and did their chores when it was Naruto asking.

Naruto was cooking. Shikamaru began setting the table.

"How is he?" Naruto asked.

"Not good," Shikamaru admitted. "It's just beginning to sink in that he hasn't lost Hinata because he never had her. He gave her his heart, Na-chan."

Naruto growled. "He should have left it with you, where it was safe."

"I never had it. Like he has never had mine."

Blue eyes turned to him. Whiskers twitched. "Never?"

"What's between me and Neji, it's like what's between you and me but with fucking added in."

"And sharing rooms, and sleeping together in a bed, and raising a child," Naruto pointed out.

Shikamaru wondered if Naruto was capable of understanding; his love for Sasuke was so absolute.

Naruto shook himself. "What matters is going forward. Neji is a member of this family and he needs our support."

They were Sasuke's words from Naruto's mouth. Shikamaru managed not to smile. "Thanks, Na-chan."

Hamaki, Terai and Fu appeared on time, careful to avoid any possibility of attracting Naruto's disapproval. Shikamaru quickly grabbed a large serving platter and held it out for the contents of the pan.

Yesterday Naruto had put the food directly onto Hamaki, Terai and Fu's plates. Shikamaru had watched them plough through portions that would have kept Kazuki or Five going.

Three pairs of eyes shone with mute gratitude as Shikamaru placed the platter on the table.

Neji arrived next: perfectly turned out; his face impassive. Shikamaru sighed, anticipating another day when Neji used up every scrap of his meagre resources pretending.

Suddenly, from nowhere, Naruto produced a tray. On it was a tea set. He added hot water to the pot and grabbed a pre-prepared bowl of yoghurt and fruit from the cool cupboard.

Tray and bowl were placed in front of Neji.

"I expect you to eat all of it," Naruto told him. "I shall make you some toast to follow."

Neji looked up at him in surprise. "Thank you."

Shikamaru saw Naruto's hand rest on Neji's shoulder for a split second. "You are welcome."

Asuma sauntered in and made a beeline for coffee, ignoring Naruto's look of disapproval.

Iruka had not wanted an automated coffee machine in the galley, just as he had not wanted one on the Oak or in the kitchen in the household in Tarrasade. Sasuke had persuaded him, or possibly overruled him, by pointing out that not having a machine in the galley only meant that they sprang up all over the ship,

So it was there but behind a door that could be locked. Needless to say, it was not locked for this trip.

"How many am I making for?" Asuma asked.

Everyone other than Neji and Naruto raised a hand.

"Six then," Asuma acknowledged, including Sasuke despite his absence.

The sounds of beans grinding and water flowing was followed by the familiar, heavenly smell. Shikamaru grabbed six coffee cups while Naruto finished making a small mountain of toast. They then settled at the table and started to eat.

Within minutes Sasuke appeared; summoned by the aroma.

They sat about the table and ate. No one spoke. Shikamaru found himself missing Haku and Iruka. Being queen of a crew was about more than feeding people.

Dwelling on who wasn't there was a mistake. It made him think of Haru and Sumiko and the other children. He sighed.

* * *

A message in long-short that was a million times too fast for a flesh-and-blood person to detect; it had to be Sai.

Haru's mind exploded with questions. He dismissed most of them. It did not matter how Sai had managed to make contact. All that mattered was finding him.

He wished Shi-chan was there.

He wasn't and Haru was meant to be with Ran in the playroom supervising Sumiko and the triplets. He launched a diagnostic for the whole of Shi-chan's level, left it running and hurried back.

Luckily no one had checked on them. He slid into the chair next to Ran, who was making a display of some of the triplet's latest artistic offerings.

"Sai's sent me a message," Haru whispered.

Ran looked surprised and then suspicious. "You sure? It isn't some pattern than will turn out to be because of a sunspot or something?"

Haru scowled at him. "Not unless the Universe is sending me a message in long-short."

"Sorry," Ran admitted. "It's just that you are so desperate to find him."

"I haven't found him yet. All I know is that he has managed to perturb an electrical signal that I am detecting via the control unit of Shi-chan's level."

Ran looked blank.

"I wish Shi-chan was here," Haru admitted.

"Take Su-chan and go back to your workshop," Ran suggested. "I'll tell Ir-chan that Su-chan was upset because Shika-san is staying away. That's true. I'll say you agreed to let her spend the morning with you, including using your simulator."

Haru hated even the thought of it.

"It gets you out of here. Su-chan cares about Sai and she won't interfere with you searching for him. Ir-chan and Kiba-san will be pleased with you."

Haru reluctantly gave a tiny nod.

At least Sumiko's sulk vanished as soon as he told her he had a lead about Sai. She hurried with him back to his workshop.

"Where is he?" she asked as soon as the door was shut.

"All I have is a signal," Haru admitted. "I detected it via the control unit on Shi-chan's level."

She frowned. "He's in Nii-san's woods?"

"Probably on the outer surface. I am running a diagnostic. Hopefully we can work out the origin of the signal."

"What do we do when we have done that?"

It was a good question.

"You should redirect all your probes and drones," Sumiko told him. "Now."

"But..."

"There aren't any buts," she insisted. "Do it now and think of an excuse later. That's what Nii-san would do." She scowled. "You'll need to have someone who knows about Sai on the team going there to fit the rocket units. Are you going?"

"No," Haru admitted.

"Is Ran-kun?"

"No."

"Then Kazu-kun will have to."

"But..."

"Haru! Sai can't move himself. Someone will have to pick him up. Talk to Kazu-kun. Come up with a reason why he has to be on the team."

"They are leaving tomorrow morning."

Sumiko folded her arms and glared at him. "Then you'll need to be quick."

Haru had to admit that Su-chan's detemination was impressive when she wasn't just focused on getting her own way. Before mid morning he had redirected his drones and probes, packed up his crawlers for transfer to the Silver Leaf and persuaded Kotetsu-san that checking over the outside of the level before firing up the rockets would be a sensible precaution.

Kazuki had swallowed his pride and begged Kuuya to include him in his team in order to give him a few days respite from Ryuka's scent.

"You owe me, Haru," he complained.

"I know," Haru assured him.

"I mean, she might hear about what I said to Kuu-chan. I don't want to upset her."

Haru hadn't thought of that. He imagined what Ran might say. "You and her are going to work together pruning the trees," he stated cautiously.

Ka-chan twitched his whiskers. "Yes."

"And you can't do that until the level arrives here."

"True."

"So helping move the level could really be about speeding up that process, even if you told your hybrid brothers otherwise," Haru suggested.

"Don't make me sound too keen," Ka-chan complained.

"I'll try to get it just right," Haru promised.

He went back to his workshop and gave Sumiko an update.

"Good," she acknowledged. "What next?"

"Look at the diagnostic and see if there are any clues where he is," Haru told her.

The data told Haru what type of component was producing the oscillation. He was pleased. It was a good first step.

Sumiko stared at the three-dimensional projection of Shi-chan's level, trying to take in the meaning of the thousands of yellow dots scattered across its surface.

"Any of those could be where Sai is?" she asked with a quiver in her voice.

Haru was about to explain when he realised that she was on the verge of tears and settled for a pep talk. "Look Su-chan, yesterday we had no idea where he was. Now we know he is touching one of those yellow dots. Ka-chan is going on the Silver Leaf. We have tomorrow and the next day to work out where Sai is and then Ka-chan will be able to go there and pick him up."

She managed not to cry. "I want to send Sai a message, so he knows we are coming to get him."

"I don't know if we can," Haru admitted. "Why don't we put everything we have together and send it to Shi-chan? He's bound to have some ideas."

Sumiko responded with an uncharacteristically sunny smile. "Yes, please, Haru-kun."

Shi-chan had warned him that the Elm would be traversing gateless systems. Even so, it was disappointing to realise that their message would not reach the Elm until after the Silver Leaf had left the next morning.

Luckily Kiba-san, after his morning off, was back in charge of the playroom. That meant Sumiko was kept busy.

Haru sat on Ka-chan's bed watching him pack.

"You've got the extra radio?" Haru had sorted an encrypted channel that would operate via the wireless interface he had installed on Shi-chan's level.

Kazuki sighed. "Yes, and, before you remind me again, I won't forget to switch my main radio off if I need to use it." He looked at Haru with To-chan's eyes. "If Sai makes it, are you really going to continue keeping him a secret?"

Haru's gut twisted. "What do you mean, if he makes it?"

"Forget I said that bit. Are you going to keep him a secret?"

"Shi-chan kept it a secret when Sai told him," Haru pointed out.

Kazuki shrugged. "I guess so. It seems wrong. I mean, he saved us. He deserves recognition for that. And, well, we aren't children anymore."

"Shi-chan isn't a child."

"Exactly," Ka-chan replied.

Haru wasn't sure what Kazuki meant by that but he decided to leave it. He held out Sai's case.

Kazuki took it. "I'll do my best to help rescue him," he promised. "Like he helped rescue us."

* * *

There was always a lengthy to do list on any newly commissioned ship. Once breakfast was over, Shikamaru had checked that Neji would be working with Sasuke and then tackled some of the more urgent wiring jobs. Going from place to place with his tool kit made him think of Haru. Doubtless there would be a message waiting for him when they reconnected.

The hole they were using was sixteen light minutes from the gate with the relay. The Elm, like all Uchiha ships, automatically linked to any data relay available, downloading any data packages addressed to them and then hacking into the data streams. Shikamaru had set his wrist chronometer to give him three minutes' warning of when the first message would arrive.

He was walking down the corridor towards the office he was sharing with Neji as it sounded.

Neji was not at his desk; Shikamaru checked the lights over the door to the commander's office to confirm that he was with Sasuke.

Then he settled into his chair. He missed his desk but he would always be able to make do with goggles, earpieces and a control glove.

The data packets began flooding in. It felt good. The majority were for him. He recognised a backlog of reports from the queries he had been running and communications from each of his Tennyos, including one from Sakura.

Then his heart lifted; there was a package from Haru.

Opening it proved to be a challenge; it was super-compressed and multiply encrypted. Finally he managed to unpack and decode the first of two videos; the one marked from Haru.

"_I don't know where to start,"_ Haru began. _"First, we are doing something without telling Papa or you. We aren't telling Papa in case he says no, but it's all right because Kakashi-san said yes. We're not telling you because it's meant to be a surprise, so the others will be cross if they find out I had told you, only I have to. It'll all make sense in a minute._

"_We're salvaging your level. Intact. Four-fifths of the trees are still alive and we think we can save about three-quarters of those."_

Shikamaru blinked back tears. It was incredibly sweet of them to do that.

"_We're going to bring it to Skyburrow and link it in. We might have to build a shell and it'll need more solar panels."_

"_Get on with it, Haru,"_ Su-chan complained from outside the camera's field of view.

Shikamaru sat up. Haru and Sumiko cooperating could only mean one thing.

"_Give me a chance, Su-chan. I set a wireless interface to the control unit and I found this signal and I'm sure it is from Sai."_

Shikamaru abandoned the video, unpacked all the other information and called up the plans of his level from his data array.

Yes, the message was real. He was impressed that Haru had detected it; the perturbation was so slight and its frequency so great. He was even more astonished that Sai has managed to send it without a hard-wired connection.

Part of his mind began suggesting ways it may have been possible. Best scenario was that a connector from Sai's array had survived the explosion and, by fluke, had come into contact with a conductor connected into a circuit. Worst scenario was that Sai had become desperate enough to try sending the equivalent of sparks across the gap between him and an external conductor.

By the Lady, he hoped that Sai had not depleted his power cell doing that.

He used Haru's diagnostic to update his simulation of the level and began modelling different ways such an oscillation could be introduced. Once that was running, he restarted Haru's video.

"_Su-chan wants us to try sending him a message."_

They must not do that. They must not do anything that would encourage Sai to reach outside his array. Shikamaru recorded a brief audio message and looked for the fastest possible route along which to send it while he compacted and encoded it.

He felt a hand on his arm.

"Not now," he barked. He didn't care who it was, or what they wanted. He had to get the message away. He was down to three possible routes.

He considered two more factors, identified the quickest, tagged the data packet appropriately and sent it.

That done, he checked that the modelling programme was running, rose back to the surface layer of his mind and lifted one of his goggles.

He had expected Neji. Instead it was Sasuke, who was standing with his arms folded and a less than amused expression.

"I am sorry, Sasuke-sama," Shikamaru apologised meekly, removing his earpieces.

Sasuke sighed. "I expect it was urgent. I promised Neji I would bring you to the midmeal. I could tell him and Naruto that something came up and you are too busy."

Shikamaru considered it but decided it would cause too many questions. They would be in this system for two days; ample time for him to consider the problem of finding Sai and get back to Haru.

His fingers flew over his interface, setting up a wireless link. He grabbed a small tablet. "A break would be great."

Hamaki, Terai and Fu had either chosen to eat elsewhere or were still recovering from consuming Naruto's breakfast.

Neji barely ate and did not speak except to answer direct questions. It was as if his reserves were finally depleted or, perhaps, he did not feel obliged to hide how he felt from Naruto and Sasuke.

Shikamaru noted the anxiety in Sasuke's eyes and the droop of Naruto's whiskers; he was not the only one worried.

After the meal, Naruto asked for Neji's help in the closet, leaving Shikamaru and Sasuke to tidy up. Shikamaru began stacking the plates but Sasuke gestured for him to sit down.

"I think you should take Neji back to Skyburrow. The Dart will reach us tomorrow. You and Neji can accompany Asuma and Misora on its return journey."

Shikamaru simultaneously weighed the consequences. Normally Sasuke wouldn't consider interrogating anyone without him and Neji but, at the moment, Neji's judgement could be suspect.

"You'll have Inryoku," Shikamaru pointed out. "He knows the Akatsuki and their systems backwards."

Sasuke nodded.

"You would talk to Neji? You would tell him that this part of the operation is only about capturing them and not interrogating them, even if that's a lie?"

"I can make it the truth," Sasuke pointed out. "Yes. I would talk to him."

The situation was finely balanced. Sasuke sending Neji away could damage him further or it could give him the space he needed to heal. Being with Iruka and the children would be good. Ran might be able to give them insights into the depth of his depression. Rin might be able to help, as she had before.

Then Shikamaru added in Sai and the analysis tipped. He would be with Sumiko and Haru if Sai was damaged or, worse, a mere collection of programmes and data that had lost what made it essentially Sai.

He imagined Sai fading away, leaving only a programme generating the oscillation; an automated distress call that had outlived its purpose.

He decided, "Yes, I should take Neji to Skyburrow."

* * *

...


	60. Location

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, JustSomeGuy, starneko, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, donalgraeme, superflaj, melissen and LillyTigress for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**60: Location**

* * *

That night Haru kept thinking of everything that could do wrong. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to pinpoint Sai's position. What if Sai's array became dislodged from Shi-chan's level and drifted away before they found him?

Even if they located him, would Kazuki be able to find an excuse to go to there? And if he did, what if Sai was badly damaged? There were no such things as tanks and medicos for Artificial Intelligences.

The potential problems swirled around his head, getting in the way of him doing anything useful, like getting some sleep.

At least he didn't have to wake up to be at the docking bay to see the Silver Leaf off.

"You have to locate him before we finish fitting the rocket units," Kazuki reminded him in a fierce whisper. "You aren't going to do that if you are too exhausted to think." He turned to Ran, his ears twitching and his tail thrashing with agitation.

"I'll talk some sense into him," Ran promised. "Safe travelling."

"Safe travelling," Haru echoed.

Then Ka-chan was through the Silver Leaf's airlock and out of sight.

They walked back towards the crew room.

"You told Ir-chan that you were going to spend today sorting out how to check over Shika-san's level with your drones and crawlers?"

Haru nodded.

"Then I suggest you go straight to your workshop, because if he spots you he'll want to know what is wrong. I'll remind him what you are doing."

Haru brought up the projection showing Shi-chan's level covered in yellow dots and stared at it. He did not have a clue how to narrow down Sai's location.

He decided to concentrate on the drones and the crawlers; if the worst came to it, the whole surface would have to be checked. The sooner he sorted out a search pattern the better.

It didn't take long. Haru relaxed a little; each time a drone arrived it would begin scanning the surface and sending back video images. Those images would be compared automatically to the schematics for Shi-chan's level and any variations would be highlighted for his inspection.

Letting go, even for a moment, proved to be a very bad idea. His limbs felt heavy and his eyelids kept drooping. After catching himself on the edge of falling forward, he decided he be better off putting his head down for a moment or two.

"Have you found him?" a voice demanded in his ear.

Haru startled awake. It was Su-chan.

"Have you?" she repeated.

"No," he admitted.

"You were sleeping. How could you?"

Haru told himself that she was upset. He also resolved to build a lock for his door that only let Ran in; or at least one that kept Su-chan out.

"The drones are looking," he insisted. He called up the programme. Two drones had arrived and begun sending back images. There were twenty-seven anomalies for him to check. He flicked through them.

None of them were where a piece of wreckage had impacted on the surface, never mind that piece of wreckage being or containing Sai.

"They've just started," he said quickly.

Su-chan blinked back tears and nodded. "I want to send Sai a message, so he knows we are coming to get him."

Haru had hoped she had given up on that idea. He had thought of ways of doing it but he there were downsides to most of the methods he had come up with. Even the ones that seemed harmless might not be. He didn't have enough information to make a judgement.

"We should wait until we hear back from Shi-chan."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to hurt Sai by mistake. He may be damaged. A high enough voltage for him to detect might be enough to damage him further."

"I don't understand," she complained.

Haru could feel himself losing it. "I am not going to zap Sai just to make you feel better." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them

"I hate you, Haru Uchiha," she yelled and was halfway to the door before Haru realised that it wasn't going to open in time. He dived after her, intending to grab her before she could hurt herself, but she managed to dodge his grasp and slip through the widening gap.

Haru allowed the door to shut and sat back down at his desk. He could not settle. He kept thinking about Su-chan's tears and how mean he had been.

Finally he gave up and went looking for her. She was her rooms and, to his surprise, Ran was with her. They were cleaning her shower.

"Su-chan isn't used to living alone," Ran told him, with a smile for Sumiko. "I told Kiba-san I would give her a hand."

"Ran-kun lived on his own when he was nine," Su-chan told him.

Haru sat on the chair in Su-chan's bedroom; there wasn't room in the shower for three. "I remember," he replied. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, cautiously.

She sniffed. "Yes. Ran says we should concentrate on finding Sai. He thinks sending Sai a message is a bad idea because it might raise his hopes when he still had to wait until Kazu-kun can pick him up."

Haru resolved to thank Ran later.

Being with Ran settled both him and Sumiko. They had their midmeal together and then Su-chan was content to go to the playroom for the afternoon. Haru returned to his workshop and settled down to check the anomalies.

There was still no sign of anything that could be Sai.

It was almost too peaceful. "Just me and you," he told the plant, which curled its fronds defensively at the sound of his voice.

Then, as if on cue, there was a peep from the interface he was using, signalling an incoming message.

Haru braced himself for disappointment. It was three-quarters of a day too early to be a reply from Shi-chan. It was probably from someone else, or a message from Shi-chan that had crossed with his.

To his amazement it was both from Shi-chan and a reply. It had been bounced through eighteen data relays; tagged in a way that ensured that it would jump the queue at every one.

Haru made a note of the tags. Not that he would use them unless it was incredibly urgent.

He decompressed and decoded the message. It was audio only.

"_This is Shikamaru. Haru, don't try to make contact with Sai. For all we know he could be damaged or he could have depleted his power cell to dangerously low levels making that oscillation."_

Haru swallowed. He had not thought about Sai's power cell; it was meant to last for standards.

"_More soon,"_ Shi-chan promised. _"I think we can locate him by setting up an interference pattern."_

It was a great idea; Haru was onto it immediately. If he set up other oscillations, he could see how they interfered with Sai's. By analysing the patterns, he might be able to pin down the origin of Sai's oscillation.

He was still modelling various possibilities when Ran came to fetch him for his evemeal.

He and Ran were on clean-up duty after the meal. They recycled the waste, loaded the dishes into the cleaner and scrubbed the surfaces.

"My room?" Ran suggested once they were finished.

"Can we go to my workshop?" Haru asked. "I'm making real progress since I got Shi-chan's message."

Ran nodded. "For a while, but you must sleep tonight," he warned.

The results from the modelling were clear. Haru was pretty sure of what to do but after Shi-chan's warning he was wary of making an error that would hurt Sai.

Then a ping announced the arrival of another message from Shi-chan. It outlined an approach that was essentially the same as the one he had been developing.

After a few more tweaks, Haru was ready to try it only for Ran to stop him.

"Maybe you should sleep on it."

Haru frowned at him.

"How long is it going to take?" Ran asked.

"Only a few minutes."

"And how long will it take to analyse the results?"

"I can't tell," Haru admitted. "Maybe a while."

"So if you collect the data tonight, you'll lay awake all night thinking about it."

"But..."

"And, if you sleep on it, you can check over what you are planning to do in the morning with fresh eyes."

Haru had to admit Ran had a point there. "I won't be able to sleep," he complained.

"Stay with me," Ran suggested.

Haru was silent. He hadn't slept over in Ran's room since Ran had turned fourteen. He remembered being on the Sakura, huddled against Ran in his bunk; desperate for some comfort.

"Or not," Ran added.

"I want to," Haru replied hastily. "But what about Kiba-san? And Iruka-sensei?"

Ran shrugged. "I'll say you fell asleep and I didn't have the heart to wake you. They probably won't check like Naruto-san would."

It felt a bit awkward at first. Haru told himself that it was because they knew they were doing something they shouldn't. They kept their clothes on, because that made the 'Haru fell asleep' excuse more believable. Ran lay down on the bed first, on his side. Then Haru lay down next to him and Ran pulled a cover over them.

Ran put an arm around Haru's waist and Haru shifted backwards until his back was against Ran's chest.

It was nice. Haru started telling Ran about Ka-chan; that he was worried about what Ryuka would think of him going on the Silver Leaf.

"He wants me to talk to Ryuka, but I'm scared I'll say something wrong," Haru admitted.

Ran gave him a squeeze. "You'll do fine. At least Kazu-kun is going to give her a chance."

Haru guessed that he agreed, even though the thought of Ryuka being Ka-chan's partner was weird.

Maybe it would never happen. Perhaps Ryuka and Ka-chan would decide they disliked each other.

"You don't think we could be like them?" Haru asked.

"Like Kazu-kun and Ryuka?" Ran checked.

"Yeah."

"In what way?" Ran queried.

"I mean, facing the possibility of having one without the other. They fancy each other like crazy but they don't know if they like each other. We know we like each other..." he trailed off.

Ran sighed. "You are impossible Haru Uchiha. You can create a problem out of nothing."

"But..."

"I think Sasuke-sama is seriously sexy."

"Ran!" Haru complained.

"And Shika-san's arse is something else."

Haru squirmed. "Eeeeww! I want to wash my ears out."

"So given who your genetic parents are, I don't think there'll be a problem from my end. Were you trying to tell me that you didn't think you could fancy me?"

"No!"

"Then shut up and go to sleep," Ran ordered, with a hug to soften the message.

* * *

At the last minute, Sasuke decided to go to the docking bay to meet the Dart. Asuma was already there, presumably to greet Misora. To Sasuke's surprise, Shikamaru was there too.

He wondered if Shika was there to meet Kakashi; if he was, Sasuke would have to wait his turn.

He need not have worried. Asuma left with Misora and Shikamaru with the Zetsus, leaving him and Kakashi alone.

"You aren't training enough," Kakashi complained before they had even exchanged greetings.

Sasuke had tried, but it was difficult to be so single-minded when there was no daily routine. "Perhaps you should train Naruto to train me. Naruto is always with me."

Kakashi's eyes communicated his approval that Sasuke had accepted the criticism. "Sasuke-sama."

"Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke had to tell him; he could not wait any longer. "Shika's found an inconsistency in the Uchiha clan charter amendments. You know that the definition of Uchiha has changed over the centuries?"

Kakashi nodded.

"If the kits swear to Uchiha when they are fourteen, they count as Uchiha according to the older definition."

"Yes, but the clan charter was amended so that only full blood Uchihas count," Kakashi pointed out.

Sasuke smiled. "It was amended to say that only full blood Uchihas can vote to amend the clan charter. It was never amended to say that only full blood Uchihas can challenge for the leadership."

Suddenly they were hugging. It reminded Sasuke of how much he had changed physically. Unless Kakashi had his implant activated, Sasuke was much stronger. Unable to resist, Sasuke squeezed.

Kakashi grunted. "Sasu-kun," he complained.

Sasuke let up.

"This development does not get you out of training," Kakashi told him.

"I know, Kakashi-sensei. We still have to make it until the kits turn fourteen. Even then, I will always be first in line."

"Izuna-sama does not know," Kakashi checked.

"No. Itachi is looking forward to telling him when the time comes."

On the way to the commander's office the conversation turned to the Akatsuki.

"All the intelligence says that this is one of the last bases, if not the last," Sasuke began.

"Orochimaru will be gone by the time we get there," Kakashi pointed out. "The only issue is whether Kabuto will go with him or be left behind to delay us."

Sasuke had already thought that through. "On balance, I think he will leave Kabuto behind as a rearguard. He cannot trust his hybrids or even his prints but Kabuto has always been loyal. Both Konan and Kotohime say he is utterly devoted to Orochimaru."

"But Kabuto will not know the details of how or where Orochimaru goes into stasis."

Sasuke nodded.

The thought of Orochimaru escaping was enough to silence them both for a few moments. Kakashi recovered first.

"What do you intend to do with them when you catch them?"

Sasuke had not discussed that with anyone, not even Naruto. "If I catch Kabuto and Orochimaru I would like to drag them back to Tarrasade and slit their throats in the Killing Square." He sighed. "Only I can't, because Izuna will challenge me."

"You could pod them, interrogate them at your leisure, wait for the kits to turn fourteen and then drag them back to Tarrasade."

Sasuke smiled. "Sounds good."

"What about Pein?"

"I wouldn't do that to Konan and Nagato," Sasuke admitted. "If he's alive, which I doubt, I'll give him a better death than that."

Once they were in the office, settled into two of the comfortable chairs, Sasuke tackled the subject of Neji. Kakashi would accept that Neji was too upset to function but Sasuke did not think he would accept the Zetsus as a substitute for Shikamaru.

"Shika and Neji will be accompanying Asuma back to Skyburrow," Sasuke stated.

Kakashi did not reply immediately. Sasuke waited for him to suggest that Shikamaru stayed.

"That bad?" Kakashi queried.

Sasuke relaxed. "Yes. Neji believed Hinata when she said she loved him."

"Maybe it was true," Kakashi suggested. "Maybe love wasn't enough."

Sasuke struggled with that. For him, love made everything else enough.

* * *

Haru slipped out of Ran's room and into his own early next morning. At breakfast, when Iruka-sensei asked what he had planned for the day, he explained that he was partway through the survey and wanted to finish it before Kuuya's team arrived to fit the rocket units.

It worked; Iruka-sensei was content that he should spend another morning in his workshop.

Sumiko was trapped in the playroom with Kiba-san. Ran was on watch and then on duty; unavailable until the midmeal.

Once at his desk, Haru went over his plan. It still seemed sound and he could not see how it could hurt Sai, so he implemented it, generating a series of oscillations originating at different points.

He watched as the data come in. There was a pattern, he was sure of it. After twelve minutes he had everything he needed. He checked it for quality and settled down to the analysis.

By the end of the morning he had it; the thousands of yellow dots had been reduced to twelve and they were all in the same area. He suppressed his excitement and redirected one of the drones that had arrived. Hopefully it could get visual confirmation.

He was just about to close down and head for the kitchen when his door opened and Sumiko came in.

He definitely needed a lock.

Before she could ask he activated the projection showing the cluster of yellow dots. She stared at it for a few moments and then rushed at him for a hug.

It was weird but kind of nice.

He didn't feel so good when he returned to his desk after the midmeal and examined the images from the drone. He couldn't see Sai's array. What he could see was where something had impacted; burying itself into the structure.

Haru told himself that if Sai had survived the destruction of the Linden, hitting Shi-chan's level shouldn't have been a problem.

Even so, he didn't show the images to Su-chan.

He couldn't think of anything else he could do for Sai so he decided to go back to looking over Shi-chan's level for damage. He had just started when his door announcer sounded.

He opened the door from his desk. It was Ryuka and he belatedly remembered that they had a mathematics lesson scheduled.

At least it was a distraction from worrying about Sai.

The good thing about teaching Ryuka was that she called a halt when she couldn't take any more in. The bad thing was that she couldn't concentrate for very long and she liked to talk once they had finished.

"Kazuki went on the Silver Leaf to avoid me, didn't he?" she asked.

Haru had not expecting her to be so direct. He scrabbled about for a suitable response. "He's looking forward to pruning the trees with you," he gabbled.

"Yes, in the big, open space where there is lots of air moving about. I talked to Kiba-san. He explained about pheromones. He thinks that Kazuki has fixated on my scent."

Haru didn't know what to say.

"Rin-san can change my scent," Ryuka told him.

It was a really bad idea. What if Rin-san had been able to stop To-chan bonding to Papa? It would have been terrible. Would Kazuki ever fall for anyone else? Would he always be looking for the female that smelled like Ryuka had?

"Maybe that's a bit radical," he suggested. "I mean, what if you wanted to change it back again and it went wrong? Perhaps we should just get Ka-chan nose plugs. Then the two of you could find out if you like each other or not."

Ryuka stared at him for a moment and then she laughed. She darted forward and kissed the end of his nose. Then she was on her way out the door. "Thank you, Haru-kun," she called over her shoulder.

He didn't stop blushing for ages.

The rest of the afternoon went quickly; Ran would be finishing his duty in the infirmary soon and Haru decided to walk down there to meet him.

He waited outside; well aware that Rin-san didn't like him being in the infirmary unless he was receiving treatment. Every so often the doors would start opening and his hopes would be raised, but it was always someone other than Ran.

The next time they opened it was Isaribi. "Rin-san would like to see you, Haru-kun," she told him.

Haru immediately wondered if something was wrong. It couldn't be Ran. If it was Ran, Rin-san would ask to see Iruka-sensei, not him.

Rin-san was sitting in her office with her feet on a footstool. "Haru-kun, come here," she ordered in a tone of voice that made it clear he had done something wrong.

At least Dan-san was there, which should stop Rin-san from getting really angry.

He approached warily, racking his mind for what it could be. Maybe she'd realised that stims were missing and was blaming him rather than Hi-chan.

"Rin-chan," Dan warned gently.

"No, I want to know what he said to her," Rin insisted.

Who was 'her'?

"Ryuka-kun tells me she is turning down the treatment I recommended because you advised against it."

Suddenly it all made sense. Haru didn't blame Ryuka for mentioning him. She didn't know Rin-san, so she couldn't know that you had to be careful how you put things.

On the other hand, he wasn't going to apologise for what he had said.

"Answer me!" Rin-san demanded.

He pointed towards the baby-bump. "At the start, lots of people thought about your baby as a problem."

Rin-san scowled at him.

"Only she isn't," Haru added quickly. "She's a blessing. I suggested Ryuka wait and check her problem wasn't really a blessing before she got rid of it."

Rin-san opened her mouth and then closed it again.

Dan-san chuckled. "He's got you there, Rin-chan." He stood up. "I'll see Haru-kun out."

He waited until they were out of earshot. "Carrying the baby is making her a bit short with people," he explained.

In Haru's eyes, all that had happened was that Rin-san had stopped being uncharacteristically nice.

"She needs to rest more," Dan-san continued. "Here's Ran. Why don't the two of you be off now?"

There was still some time until the evemeal, so they decided to go back to Haru's workshop and try the radio link to Kazuki. Hopefully the Silver Leaf was close enough to Shi-chan's level that Kazuki's radio could receive and transmit via the wireless interface.

On the way, Ran told Haru about his day and Haru told Ran about his conversations with Ryuka and Rin-san.

Kazuki replied almost immediately; tapping the microphone. Haru automatically decoded the long-short; he was moving to somewhere where their conversation couldn't be overheard by their hybrid brothers.

He must have had the radio activated and an earpiece in; waiting for Haru to contact him.

Finally words rather than taps came from the speaker. _"This is Kazuki. What's the latest? You found him yet, Ha-chan?"_

Haru filled him in, including giving him Sai's location. "Do you think you'll be able to find an excuse to go there?" he concluded.

"_No problem."_ Kazuki assured him. _"I've told Kuuya that you suggested that I check out any damaged areas. He's happy with that because I was a late addition to the team, so I am only back-up for those fitting the rocket units. He's given me a video camera and a radio that you can link to via the wireless interface."_

That was a relief; Haru had been fretting about how to get Sai to Ka-chan. He should have remembered that Kazuki could talk almost anyone into almost anything. "Thanks Ka-chan. When will you be going out and onto the surface?"

"_Tomorrow morning. Haru, but it'll be another four days before I can bring him home to you."_

Haru swallowed; he had known that but hearing it from someone else brought home how hard waiting was going to be.

"_Ran, you there?" _Kazuki asked.

"I'm here," Ran replied.

"_Look after him. Make sure he gets some sleep and keep him busy. Suggest to Iruka-san that he looks after Ta-chan and Te-chan. That'll distract him."_

"Ka-chan!" Haru complained.

Ran smiled. "I might do that."

* * *

...


	61. Edges

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, 'Guest', Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, JustSomeGuy, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, donalgraeme, melissen and maliya for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: This chapter deals with disquieting themes, including torture and death.**

**The second part of the chapter has been edited so that it better conforms to this website's terms and conditions.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**61: Edges**

* * *

Shikamaru stared at the melted blob that lay on the surface. Also gathered around the workbench were Haru, Ran, Kazuki and Sumiko.

"He doesn't look so good," Kazuki observed.

Sumiko started to cry.

The combination of words and tears broke the spell. Shikamaru began to think. It could be worse. He had managed to arrive before Kazuki had brought Sai back to Skyburrow. He was there for Sumiko and Haru.

There were a few places where the stubs of connectors projected from the melted plastic. Perhaps one of them had made contact with a component and allowed Sai to send his message.

"This..." Haru pointed at the blob. "...is much bigger than Sai's box. Sai's box could be inside."

It was good that Haru was being positive. Sumiko stopped crying with a snivel. Ran passed her a handkerchief.

It was time to find out what was left. Shikamaru brought the test rig he had built from his pocket. "I made this on the way here," he told them, trying to keep his voice confident. "We can use it to test those connectors with the minimum risk to Sai. I have kept the voltage as low as possible and incorporated an amplifier. We'll need a suitable interface, Haru."

Haru nodded and selected one from the collection on the shelves at the side.

"Can you tell which connector is which?" Ran asked.

Shikamaru didn't even know if they had Sai the right way up.

Haru's fingers danced across the interface. "Divs ago, I ran simulations of the ways the boxes around Sai could melt. Maybe one of those can give us a clue."

He started projecting the endpoints of each simulation.

"That one was close," Kazuki declared as one three-dimensional image after another flashed by. "Back two," he specified.

It didn't look anything like the blob on the bench. Then Ka-chan turned the blob over and rotated it around two different axes. "See?"

Shikamaru shook his head in admiration. "I don't know how you do it. Na-chan is the same."

"Awesome spatial awareness," Haru confirmed. "Shall we finish checking the others?"

None fit anywhere near as well; they were as sure as they could be of which stub corresponded to which conductor.

The display also showed the final temperature inside Sai's array; it was unexpectedly low.

"Could you run the whole of that sim for me, Ha-chan?" Shikamaru asked.

He watched the outer layers ablate or melt. According to Haru's model, the internal temperature never reached a level where Sai's components would melt.

"You sure about the temperature?" he asked. "Wouldn't it be higher?"

Haru nodded. "I used the specs that Klenn-san gave me with the data arrays. He told me that he had designed them to survive almost anything."

Shikamaru could imagine that. "Trust Klenn," he whispered.

Haru pointed to one of the metallic stubs. "This one is the one most likely to have been causing the oscillation."

Shikamaru found himself in the rare situation of catching up rather than setting the pace. He worked backwards from Haru's statement. "I agree."

They watched as Haru grasped the stub with a tiny gold clip and connected the clip to the test rig.

The display flickered. Sumiko clapped her hands, Kazuki pricked his ears, Ran gave a small smile and Haru's hand shook with excitement as he inputted some instructions into the interface.

Shikamaru realised that he was slowing down the signal so they could see the pulses.

It was the same signal as before; Haru in long-short.

"It's Sai, he's still there," Sumiko declared.

Shikamaru suppressed a sigh. He should have been braver. He should have raised the possibility that it was an automated signal before they got to this point. Now Sumiko's hopes were sky-high.

He opened his mouth to express a few words of caution.

"The signal's changing," Kazuki observed.

It was true; the pattern of pulses was different.

"What's he saying? What's he saying?" Sumiko demanded.

Ka-chan decoded the message. "It's 'Sumiko' in long-short."

Su-chan was squealing with delight.

It still could be an automated signal. The connection had been lost. The programme could have been to send 'Haru' during the first connection and then 'Haru' followed by 'Sumiko' in the second.

Even so, Shikamaru was more hopeful. "Disconnect and reconnect again," he suggested. If Sai was there it would confirm that the disconnection and subsequent reconnection had been deliberate.

Haru complied.

The signal altered and continued to change. Kazuki began decoding the pulses as they appeared on the display.

"Connectors damaged. Many components of interface lost. Power cell at one-third. Will detect voltage change on this connector."

"I want to send him a message! Please, Nii-san! Please!"

Shikamaru had never seen Sumiko so happy. By the Lady he hoped Sai was still in there. "We can use the test rig to perturb the voltage," he confirmed, making the necessary alterations.

Haru nodded. "Right, Su-chan. What's your message? Ka-chan will convert it to long-short and then we'll make the code into a change in voltage and speed it up so Sai can detect it easily."

Sumiko frowned and then smiled. "I love you and have missed you lots."

Kazuki coded, Haru processed and then the message was sent.

"We signed it from you, Su-chan," Haru assured her.

They waited. The longer it took, the worse Shikamaru felt. Haru was far too pale. Ka-chan's ears, tail and whiskers were drooping. Ran was biting his lips.

Even Su-chan was beginning to look worried.

Maybe even the message about Sai's condition had been part of an automated sequence, recorded divs before.

Then the line on the screen started pulsing and Kazuki began decoding.

"I have missed you too, Sumiko-chan."

* * *

Madara had resisted for as long as he was able. Then he had seen Haku in that particular kimono.

It felt as if Lady Luck was playing with him. During the day he was with Sakura, who was exactly the type of woman he would want as his mistress, and at the evemeal there was Haku, who, except for his gender, was the embodiment of everything Madara would want in a wife.

Yet he could touch neither. He could not seduce Sakura because Izuna Uchiha was uninterested in women. He could not fuck Haku because Kisame would twist his head from his neck.

It was one of many unacceptable aspects of the unsatisfactory life he was leading. He had planned for standards and waited for centuries; now he was wasting div after div of his precious lifespan marking time.

Sasuke still had both Shikamaru and Neji. Centre had yet to acquire Shikamaru and the Hyuga, for reasons Madara did not comprehend, had returned Neji.

Worse, Sasuke was content to stay away from Tarrasade in order to avoid a challenge. Madara suspected that he could go to the Killing Square, draw his knife and declare Sasuke Uchiha a coward without it having the slightest effect. Sasuke would release some statement reminding everyone that Uchiha was in the middle of a vendetta and politely querying his sanity.

In that way Sasuke was irritatingly like Izuna.

So he was here, in a brothel. At least it was an exceptionally discrete brothel. It was located in Prime. It masqueraded as six separate apartments. Even its neighbours did not realise that the apartments were linked and the function they fulfilled.

The sensible approach would have been to tell Sumaru and swear him to secrecy but Madara could not bear the thought of those sanctimonious eyes judging him.

So he had paid to use one of the other entrances; the one from the upmarket gambling den. As far as Sumaru knew, Izuna was two rooms away playing cards with other rich men who valued their privacy.

He was not. He was a corridor's walk beyond in a beautifully appointed room waiting for the prostitute he had selected.

It was not the one he had most desired because it had to be male. He could weather the storm if his indiscretion was made public. What he could not risk was being caught with a woman; that would be considered uncharacteristic behaviour for Izuna Uchiha.

Not that Izuna would have ever visited a brothel.

He had picked one that he could fantasise was Haku; slight, elegant and graceful with large brown eyes and long, dark hair. He had specified full traditional dress, a tea ceremony and a scenario that the brouchure had described as uninhibited sexual intercourse with a consenting but less than willing partner.

The door slid open and a person entered. The rustle of silk immedately brought Haku to mind, even before Madara took in the beautiful kimono.

The thought of it being Haku sinking to the floor and bowing in submission excited him.

"I am here to do your bidding, honoured captain."

Even the voice was close enough. Madara leaned back on the couch. "You understand the deal to which your husband has agreed?" he asked.

"Yes, honoured captain."

"And you have never been intimate with anyone other than him?"

The reply was soft, hesitant and ashamed. "Never, honoured captain."

"I shall offer you one small mercy," the 'honoured captain' replied. "You need not pretend to enjoy it."

It had been remarkably satisfying. More importantly, it was effective. He could look at Sakura without wanting her. He could feel superior when Haku or Itachi thwarted him by politely evading his requests. He could keep his rage under control without endless katas and too frequent cold showers.

But then the dreams began; rooted in memory but going in bizarre directions. He would wake sweating. For a few moments the dream would seem real but then it would fade leaving only vivid impressions: Izuna morphing into Sasuke; his hands around Shikamaru's neck; people laughing at him.

Orochimaru laughing at him.

It started as a tiny thought, perhaps in one of the dreams, but it grew. What if one of the Orochimaru prints did not suicide before it was caught?

What if Uchiha managed to capture Orochimaru himself?

Would Sasuke offer enough to tempt Orochimaru into betraying him?

* * *

Sasuke moved through the corridors: Terai walked five paces in front of him; Naruto was behind his right shoulder; Hamaki and Fu protected their backs. Every so often they would pass a crew member from the Ninken, guarding possible approaches.

He had seen images and read descriptions of Akatsuki bases. It was exactly as he had expected: a beautiful house surrounded by glorious gardens set within a jungle of killer plants.

Haru had spent three divs living in a house like this one.

Like the other bases, there was more than could be seen from space or even the surface: silos for spacecraft and missiles; supply dumps; a network of tunnels; racks of mindless clones waiting to be mindprinted.

This time there had been a three-phase, booby-trapped, self-destruct system that the Zetsus had disarmed.

The prints Orochimaru had left behind had been rounded up and locked away. There were no surviving hybrids; they had fought to the death.

Kabuto had not been with them.

They reached the stairs and began making their way down. Their footsteps echoed from the unadorned stone walls. The Zetsus were sitting on the bottom step. Sasuke could see their narrow shoulders shaking; at least one of them was crying.

They looked over their shoulder as Terai passed them, struggled to their feet and bowed.

"Sasuke-sama."

"Inryoku-san, Enerugi-san," he acknowledged.

Kakashi stepped forward out of the shadows. Terai, Hamaki and Fu moved to watch the doorways.

"Sasuke-sama."

"Kakashi-san."

"You must prepare yourself," Kakashi warned. "I would not allow Ir-chan to see what is in there."

Sasuke swallowed. He understood the message. Kakashi wanted to protect him but, as Uchiha-sama, it was his duty. He turned to Naruto.

"No," Naruto replied before he could speak. "My place is at your side, as always."

The three of them moved forward into the room beyond. It smelled odd; a mixture of antiseptics, disinfectants, fresh meat and decay.

In the centre of the room there was a wide, shallow tank and spread out in it was something that had once been a man.

Then its eyes opened and Sasuke realised that it still was.

He concentrated on Pein's face; all too aware of the reasons that Orochimaru had left most of the head intact. Pein could still hear what was going to be done to him and beg for it to be over.

His eyes showed a depth of agony that went far beyond Sasuke's comprehension.

Sasuke moved forward so that he would be within Pein's field of view. The exposed ribcage moved up and out. He could see the diaphragm moving down. There was the harsh rasp of air passing down the windpipe.

"Uchiha-sama," Pein croaked. "Haru looks like you. Except for the colour of his eyes."

He gestured for a chair and sat so that he was looking directly into Pein's eyes.

"And Nagato-chan looks like you," he replied. "Except that he has Konan-san's eyes."

Pein stared at him. "Nagato?" he whispered.

So Sasuke told Pein about his son. About what a fine boy he was; so loving and giving. About his many likes and his few dislikes. About how he preferred playing with trains more than helping his mother with the plants. About how he liked music and stories.

About how he listened attentively when Konan told him about his father.

Tears pooled in Pein's eyes and ran down his face into the green regen gel.

Sasuke turned to Naruto. "Get me some images of Nagato-chan and Konan-san."

Naruto nodded and was gone.

Next Sasuke talked about Konan: her dignity and grace; the perfectly judged path she had walked between staying loyal to her husband and playing a part in the Uchiha household.

There was another rasp as Pein inhaled. "She deserves more," he croaked.

"Yes," Sasuke agreed.

"Once I am dead..." he began.

Sasuke interrupted. "Once the Akatsuki is gone, she will be able to choose from many futures. If she wishes, she can stay within my household. If she wishes, she can become part of Uchiha. If she wishes, she will be free to build a life elsewhere."

"There is another," Pein whispered. "Orochimaru began the Akatsuki with him. He spends decades, sometimes centuries, in stasis." He paused for another rattling breath. "I do not know his identity. If I did, I would tell you."

Sasuke filed the information away for later consideration. Kakashi stepped up beside him, holding out small tablet in a leather case.

"The Zetsus had this on them," he murmured. "Naruto is finding a better display." He moved so his lips were close to Sasuke's ear. "Even if we wanted to, we cannot save him. Shizune says that Orochimaru has poisoned him with a slow-acting nerve toxin. It will be a prolonged and agonising death."

He looked to where Shizune was standing at the side of the room; he had not noticed her before. She made eye contact and nodded.

"Get Shizune to prepare something that will take away the pain and give him as gentle a death as possible," he whispered into Kakashi's ear.

The images on the small tablet were perfect; the Zetsus had recorded every milestone in Nagato's life from when he was a newborn in his mother's arms, through each of his six birth anniversaries to a small collection taken recently.

Konan featured in about half of them.

Sasuke held the tablet four handbreadths from Pein's eyes while Naruto set up a large display and the Zetsus, still weeping, sorted out a connection.

Soon they had the images cycling slowly on a large screen suspended over the tank.

"We cannot save you," Sasuke admitted.

There was another tortuous inhalation. "I know. Poison. Fool. I wanted it." He managed something approximating to a smile. "I lived to see this. Tell Konan and Nagato that I love them."

"Willingly," Sasuke assured him. "We can ease your going," he offered.

"Please," Pein whispered.

Shizune injected a massive dose of opiates. Sasuke watched as, slowly, Pein's eyes dulled and lost focus. Then, finally, he was gone.

Sasuke stood up. "Check it's not a print," he ordered. He would not put it past Orochimaru to do that. "Inryoku-san, perhaps you could tell Shizune-san what you think Konan-san would wish to be done with the body."

He needed air. He left the room, climbed the stairs and made his way through a corridor into a conservatory that led to a garden.

It was beautiful; full of flowers. Sasuke had no doubts that it had been Konan who planted them.

"I am so proud of you," Naruto whispered, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

Inside, Sasuke was seething. "I want to kill him."

"Orochimaru," Naruto checked.

Sasuke nodded. "I want to drag him in chains to the Killing Square. I want him to beg for his life. I want to slit his throat and watch him die." He realised that he was clenching his fist and forced his hand to relax. "When I think of him escaping into stasis..."

"Inari is trailing them," Naruto reminded him. "If he keeps Kabuto with him we will have him."

* * *

...


	62. Links

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, JustSomeGuy, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, donalgraeme, maliya, melissen and 'Guest' for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**62: Links**

* * *

Haru ate his breakfast and pretended not to be studying Akemi, who was sat a little way along on the other side of the table.

Ran was sitting next to him. Haru had told Ran that he was fine with it.

Only he wasn't.

Akemi didn't look that different than he had before. He was a bit thinner and a lot quieter. Not that he had ever been loud but now he said almost nothing and when he did speak it seemed like it was always to Ran.

The Orochimaru print had tortured him. What was worse, it had been for Orochimaru's own sick enjoyment; not even to extract information.

Mending the physical damage had been easy. Unfortunately there wasn't the equivalent of a tank for unbearable memories and shattered self-image.

Haru understood the situation. Akemi was emotionally unstable. He could hurt himself; perhaps even others. There were two ways of dealing with it. The first was that they could drug him, stopping him feeling any emotions. The problem with that approach was that it didn't allow Akemi to improve.

The other way was to allow him to feel but to intervene before the emotions spiralled out of control. Rin-san had embedded sensors in various places around Akemi's body. They collected physiological data, including brainwaves.

The trouble was that the physiological monitoring didn't work very well. Each time the medicos had realised something was wrong it had been too late; Akemi was pretty far gone and they had to drug him anyway.

Ran was much more effective. He could tell as soon as Akemi began slipping. He would warn Akemi and, if necessary, tell one of the people involved in Akemi's treatment: Asuma-san, Kono-san, Neji-san or Dan-san.

Not Rin-san; Rin-san's baby was almost ready to come out.

The problem was that Ran had to be with Akemi to feel his emotions and Haru didn't like that one little bit.

He kept imagining Ran getting closer and closer to Akemi. Akemi was hurt and needy. Ran was kind. It would start with Ran trying to help Akemi and Akemi would be grateful. Then Ran would realise that a young man like Akemi was a lot more attractive than a runt like Haru.

It was like with Five but worse because Ran had to form empathic links with Akemi all the time to monitor him.

Haru finished his breakfast and escaped to his workshop. He was working on Sai, which was tricky but had the advantage of needing all his attention, so he couldn't think about Ran.

Shi-chan had contacted Garner-san and explained that the smaller of the two arrays Klenn-san had given Haru had been badly damaged. Garner-san had commissioned a replacement but it would be at least two or three divs until it arrived. In the meantime, Haru was connecting a supplementary power cell, a bank of high-capacity processors, new data relay ports and a wireless interface.

A soft ping came through his earpiece; Shi-chan's way of asking if he was available. Haru stopped what he was doing and opened the door to Shi-chan's laboratory.

Shi-chan paused briefly at the plant, which waved its fronds in welcome.

"How is it going?" he asked once he had reached the workbench.

Haru considered. "Well. I've got the supplementary power supply and two of the data relay ports connected."

Shi-chan peered at the collection of components on the bench. "I thought you were going to purge your array and so Sai could move into it until the new one arrived."

Haru knew that was the sensible way forward. His array had a similar architecture to Sai's and, once he had moved, Sai would not be relying on stressed or even damaged components. However, experience told him that Sai was not always sensible.

"Sai won't want to move," he warned.

Shi-chan frowned. "We'll just have to persuade him. Connect him to an interface."

By midmorning, Shi-chan had promised to destroy Sai's original array in the storage cupboard back in Tarrasade and Haru had promised to destroy Sai's current array if Sai agreed to move into the new one that Garner-san was having made. Sai had agreed to nothing.

Even Shi-chan had given up on the idea of two moves.

"I am going to disconnect you, Sai, so that I can hardwire another data port. Then I'll connect the processors and the wireless interface," Haru told him.

"I understand," Sai replied. "Will it take long? Sumiko will be expecting me."

"No, we should be done by the midmeal."

Shi-chan waited until Haru disconnected Sai from the interface.

"By the Lady, he is stubborn. Do you think we'll get him to move into the new array?"

Haru hoped so. "I'll tell Su-chan he's risking his life staying where he is. Sai finds it much easier to say no to me than to her."

Shi-chan nodded. He gave the wireless interface a tiny push. "Once he's connected to that he can get into every part of the Uchiha systems."

"Yes," Haru admitted cautiously. "He's very good about not going where he shouldn't, like me."

There was no reply and Haru decided to get on with connecting the data port. Shi-chan helped by handing him the right tool at the correct moment.

It felt good to be working together. Once the data port was connected and tested, Haru reached for the bank of processors only for Shi-chan to stop him.

"Haru, we have a problem."

Haru looked at him, his heart starting to pound.

"It isn't my vow to Uchiha. With that, I can weigh the positive and negative consequences and decide what is best for Uchiha. When I do that, I agree with you, the fewer people who know about Sai the better. It's a promise I made to your Papa. I promised that I would never keep any big stuff secret from him."

"Sai isn't big, he's small," Haru gabbled.

"He's huge, Ha-chan, and we both know it. If Centre find out about him, they will try to purge known space of his existence. At the absolute minimum that would be Sai, you and me. We can probably add in Sumiko, Ran and Kazuki. Knowing Centre, they would probably eliminate the whole of Uchiha just to make sure."

"The fewer people who know, the less likely Centre is to find out," Haru insisted.

Shi-chan passed a hand over his face; a sure sign he was stressed. "Haru, Izuna-sama has told the Central Civil Service that I am a typed-seven."

Haru froze. He started to imagine Centre coming to get Shi-chan and what would follow. At best they would take Shi-chan away. At worst they would find out about Sai. Between the two, they would test him, confirm he was a typed-five and take him too.

How could Izuna-sama do such a thing? "Why?" he asked.

"Izuna-sama wants to be Uchiha-sama and he knows that he will never command my loyalty."

Haru registered Shi-chan's answer but his mind was still considering the possible consequences of Centre's arrival: To-chan, Ka-chan and the other hybrids euthanized; he and Shi-chan trapped in the Institute of Psychology on Centre I; Papa, Ran and the others mindwiped. He felt sick.

"Haru?" Shi-chan queried.

He pulled himself together. Panicking would get them nowhere. They were spacers. They faced danger every day. "Promise or no promise, telling Papa about Sai makes things worse," he insisted. "Especially if Centre might turn up for another reason. Are you monitoring what Centre is doing? Have you asked Garner-san for help?"

"Yes to the monitoring. No to asking Garner-san."

"You should. You would have asked Klenn-san. What is the plan if Centre turns up?"

Shi-chan managed a small smile. "You sound like your Papa. If Centre turns up to take me, I am going to join the Central Civil Service. If I do that, I think they will be distracted from investigating Uchiha."

Shi-chan would be gone for ten standards. Even so, Haru could see that it was the right thing to do. They knew it would work; it was the way Klenn-san had escaped the Centralite psychologists' clutches. Haru swallowed. "No doing that unless they are actually on their way. Maybe they won't believe Izuna-sama. I mean, it's obvious he's only doing it to spite Papa."

* * *

Shikamaru hadn't meant to tell Haru that Izuna had contacted Centre. Belatedly, he realised that his indecision about Sai had led him to be more open than he had intended.

Hearing Haru sound so much like Sasuke was a surprise; that fierce determination to protect those he loved.

Maybe telling him was for the best. If the worst came to the worst, Haru would have to step up; the more prepared he was, the better. Also, he was right about Sai; telling more people was just too dangerous.

Sasuke would forgive him if the secret came out; he always did.

He tapped the processors. "Link these in and then hardwire him to a local interface. I want a chat before we let him loose."

Haru complied while Shikamaru connected a speaker and a microphone.

"You there Sai-kun?" Shikamaru asked.

"I am always here, Shikamaru-san. When connected I can process what you are saying and you can hear what I am expressing as words."

"Good. Before, when we worked together, we did things because it was an emergency. Now, you need to go back to behaving like you did before."

"I understand. My existence is a secret. It must stay that way because if Centre finds out they will try to destroy me and all knowledge of my existence. They will mindwipe Ran and Sumiko. They will kill Kazuki because he is a hybrid. They will probably not mindwipe you, Shikamaru-san, because you are a typed-seven genius. They may mindwipe Haru. That will depend on whether they decide if he is a typed-five genius and whether they consider typed-five geniuses as valuable as typed-seven geniuses."

Shikamaru swallowed. How did Sai know about mindwiping? He looked toward Haru, who would not make eye contact. How long had Haru been worrying about Centre turning up and mindwiping those he loved?

Sai was continuing. "All Sai-code has to stay inside my array. If I write code for outside the array, it must be code like the code that flesh and blood people write. If devices are being driven by my processers, like the simulators, it must look like they are been driven by other processors elsewhere. I can only write or rewrite code outside my array with Haru's permission.

"Can you give me permission to write and rewrite code outside my array, Shikamaru-san? Is that a new rule?"

Shikamaru thought about it, but it was a step closer to Sumiko being able to give Sai permission and she would not be ready for responsibility for a long time. "No, only Haru can give permission, Sai-kun. It is safer that way."

"But we might break the rules in an emergency, like last time."

"Only if Haru is not available," Shikamaru insisted. "And only in an emergency where people's lives are at risk."

"I understand, Shikamaru-san."

"Good. Now, about your components. They will have been stressed by what had happened. They may not behave according to their specifications. You must watch for anomalies. You may like to consider building in more redundancy."

There was the shortest of pauses. "I need the extra power supply and processors to function at full capacity. This means that Haru cannot carry me in his leather wallet and I will not fit in Sumiko's purse."

"Yes," Haru answered swiftly. "You will have to stay here and communicate with us through the wireless interface."

Shikamaru wondered what he was missing.

"The new array will be identical to this one?"

"As close as possible given manufacturing error," Haru assured him.

That sounded hopeful.

"You promise to destroy this array once I have moved?"

"I promise, Sai," Haru assured him.

"If the new array is to specification, I shall move. Then I can be carried by Haru or Sumiko."

Shikamaru smiled. Sai could be sweet sometimes.

"Is the wireless interface ready?" Sai asked. "I want to surprise Sumiko next time she goes into her room."

Haru looked to him and Shikamaru nodded. They made the connection.

Immediately the projectors activated and a life-sized, three dimensional image of Sai was sitting on the edge of Haru's workbench.

He looked different; less perfect yet physically more convincing. Shikamaru realised that he was making more realistic eye contact, even though there were two of them present. He must have worked on the dynamics of the image while he was trapped in his array.

"Looking good, Sai-kun," Shikamaru acknowledged.

Sai nodded but did not smile; maybe the smile was still unconvincing.

"Is this the Su-chan version?" Haru asked.

The image changed and was replaced by a boy of about nine standards. He was wearing pyjamas like the ones Haru used to wear. "Will you be telling us a story tonight, Shika-san?"

"Of course, Sai-chan. Could you leave us alone for a while? I want to talk to Haru about something before the midday meal."

Sai winked away and Haru was looking at him with Naruto-coloured eyes. Shikamaru took a moment to recall why he had wanted to speak with Haru. It hadn't been Sai or Centre.

"Ran," he began.

Haru looked away.

Shikamaru almost changed the subject. He didn't even know how it was between Haru and Ran. Were they still just friends or had it developed into something more? Then he remembered what it had been like when Neji had been going through therapy. "It's tough supporting someone who is struggling to overcome psychological damage."

There was no response.

Shikamaru decided to keep going. "It will be hard on Ran. It will be particularly difficult for him because he is an empath. Some of Akemi's emotions will be pretty raw. He'll need your support."

Haru had turned pink; Shikamaru began thinking he had it completely wrong.

"Forget I said anything," he suggested.

Haru's head jerked up and he made brief eye contact before looking away again. "No, I am glad you did. Thank you. I'll go find where he is now."

That suited Shikamaru; he was intending on checking on Neji before the midday meal. He went back into his laboratory and through the opposite door into Neji's office.

Neji had been with Hinata when they had been taking the decisions about Skyburrow, hence the two separate workrooms rather than one. Shikamaru wasn't sure what he thought of it. He liked having his laboratory but he didn't think it was good for Neji to be in his office alone, especially while Sasuke was away.

They had compromised by having the door open unless either of them required privacy.

He leaned on the edge of Neji's desk. "What are you doing?"

"I have decided to offer the youngsters a course on reading behaviour," Neji replied. "I am planning a programme."

Shikamaru was surprised; Neji had always refused to teach the Hyuga techniques for observing and interpreting behaviour.

Neji, of course, had seen his response. "I have decided that I owe them nothing," he admitted. "Uchiha will have everything I can pass on."

"Maybe you could work with the hybrid youngsters about using their other senses," Shikamaru suggested. "You tell them what you see and what it means, but then they tell you what they smell or hear. Maybe, between you, we can get a uniquely Uchiha way of interpreting behaviour."

Neji nodded; a 'yes that's a good idea' nod rather than an 'I acknowledge your contribution' nod.

It was time to say what was on his mind. "I am a bit worried about Ran." Shikamaru admitted.

Neji stopped using the interface and gave Shikamaru his full attention.

"I mean, none of us know what it is like being an empath. Some of Akemi's emotions must be pretty intense. Also, Ran's young and inexperienced. He won't be good at setting boundaries and we can't expect Akemi to take responsibility for that."

Neji was very still. "You raise good points. I will talk with Iruka-san and Dan-san." He put a hand on Shikamaru's knee. "Thank you, Shika."

Shikamaru shrugged. "It was only a thought."

"Not for that. For the experiences that mean you can appreciate Ran's situation. For being with me even through the darkest times. For being with me now. I was a fool to turn away from you to some dream that was mostly in my imagination."

Shikamaru covered Neji's hand with his own. "She manipulated both of us, Ne-chan. It turned out to be the price we paid to get you back where you belong."

* * *

Until Shi-chan pointed it out, Haru had never spared a thought for what would be like for Ran to experience Akemi's emotions. Instead his mind had been full of his jealousy and how he had to hide it or Ran would be cross with him.

He was embarrassed and ashamed of himself. Even after Shi-chan left, the knowledge of how selfish he had been kept thrusting itself to the forefront of his thoughts. Each time the squirmy, hot sensations were there afresh.

He wished To-chan was there to help him set things right.

Instead he had to do it on his own.

He thought about where Ran was likely to be and headed for the kitchen. The plan was for Akemi to do everyday tasks that gave him lots of contact with people he knew. Today he was in charge of making lunch with Ran assisting him.

Asuma-san was sitting at the table reading a tablet.

"Haru-kun," he acknowledged.

"Asuma-san," Haru replied.

He sat down. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't on duty, so it wasn't his place to start setting the table. For once he hadn't a tablet with him.

"How's reclaiming the woods going?" Asuma asked.

Haru startled. He hadn't anticipated Asuma-san talking to him. He pulled himself together. "Well. We are keeping the acceleration and deceleration down to prevent more damage to the trees. Once it gets here we're going to link it in by a boarding tube to one of the emergency airlocks, because the main entrance to the level is so large."

"And what do you think the next project will be?"

It was an interesting question. He had not thought beyond finding Sai. "There's a lot of work to do on Skyburrow," he replied but he was thinking that Skyburrow was Hikaru's project, not his.

At that moment Ran came over. He plonked the cutlery basket on the table in front of Haru. "Might as well help given that you are early."

The squirmy feeling was back but Haru met Ran's eyes and smiled.

Ran looked a bit surprised but gave a small smile in return. Then he went back to help Akemi at the stove.

"You two had a tiff?" Asuma-san asked in a low voice.

If they had, Haru had been too busy hiding his jealousy to notice. Unable to answer, he gave the smallest of shrugs, stood up and began setting the table.

Asuma chuckled. "Occasionally, you remind me of your father at your age."

Haru flushed. He did not know if that was a compliment, a criticism or just a comment.

The midmeal unfolded as usual. The triplets and Sumiko arrived first, followed by the youngsters, most of the adults and then a few stragglers who were either late or looking for a little peace and quiet.

Sumiko had bestowed a smile on him; Haru guessed that she had been talking to Sai.

Akemi seemed to be coping well. Haru noticed that he spaced out a few times but a soft word from Ran was enough to bring him back.

Finally it was over. The only people at the table were Choza-san, who was having a leisurely cup of tea before starting to cook, Kiba-san, who had handed the triplets over to Iruka-sensei, Asuma-san, Ran and Haru.

"What about a short training session?" Asuma-san suggested to Akemi. "Ran-kun can catch up with you later."

Akemi looked uncertain but nodded.

Once Asuma-san and Akemi had left, Ran took out small tablet and began making notes.

It was probably about Akemi, so Haru stopped himself saying anything.

"I thought you would be in your workshop," Ran commented.

"I wanted to be with you for a bit." Haru replied.

Choza-san and Kiba-san exchanged looks. Choza-san stood up and carried his teacup over to the counter. "I was going to check whether any of the fungi were ready for harvesting," he stated,

Kiba-san stood up and walked over to where the baskets hung on hooks. "I'll come with you."

They sat in silence; the only sound was Ran's stylus tapping the tablet. Haru slowly realised that Ran wasn't going to speak first and that if he didn't say something soon Akemi would be back from the gym.

"I'm sorry," he began.

Ran looked at him. He didn't look very forgiving. The squirmy feelings were back, along with a creeping certainty that Ran was cross with him.

It looked like trying to hide his jealousy hadn't worked very well.

"I should have been thinking about you having to share Akemi's emotions, not about me," Haru explained.

Ran's eyebrows went up. "I'll settle for you not being jealous every time I spend time with anyone young, male and unattached. It's..."

"Ugly," Haru supplied. "I know. I thought that by keeping my distance you wouldn't see it."

"That, Haru Uchiha, is downright stupid."

Haru felt squirmy all over again. "I guess so," he admitted. "I never realised that being jealous is the same as being selfish. I never thought I was selfish."

Ran put the stylus down and sighed. "They aren't the same. You're only selfish when something has completely passed you by. It's never intentional. The jealousy, well, I hope that stops once we start fucking."

Haru felt his skin heat up; he knew he must be as red as a tomato. They never talked about such things. Haru didn't even think about it much. For him, it was all about being together. Ran would be his. He would be Ran's.

"Because if it doesn't, it'll be over between us, Haru," Ran warned.

Haru could see that. The jealousy would pollute their whole relationship. For Ran, it would be like bathing in filthy water.

"I mean it," Ran emphasised.

"I know," Haru replied.

* * *

...


	63. Home

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, JustSomeGuy, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, donalgraeme, maliya, melissen and 'Guest' for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: This chapter has been edited so that it conforms to the guidelines for this site and scenes considered too intimate have been replaced by ***oooOOOooo***.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**63: Home**

* * *

Haru waited impatiently in the queue. Upfront were Shi-chan, Su-chan and Hi-chan. Haru was trying not to resent Hikaru. After all, it was Hi-chan's idea to salvage Shi-chan's level; he deserved to be one of the first to enter.

They were wearing suits but had their helmets down; not only would that be safer but it was going to be cold.

Sai's voice spoke into his ear. _"I cannot see much."_

Haru wasn't surprised. His helmet, where the camera was, was pointing directly at Ry-chan's back. "Nothing to see yet," he subvocalised.

Ran squeezed his hand, checking he was all right. It was nice. Haru squeezed back. It was good that Ran had been able to make it. He had much less free time since he had started helping Akemi.

Then, finally, the outer and inner doors of the lock were open and they were moving.

Haru had braced himself for devastation; he had looked up pictures of what woods looked like after earthquakes or hurricanes.

Instead it was magical. Every surface glittered in the artificial winter sunlight. The silver-barked trees with their naked branches were beautiful.

The ground crunched under his feet. He could feel the cold air going down his windpipe and into his lungs. The skin of his face was stinging slightly.

It reminded him of rushing down a snowy slope on a sled and making snowpeople.

"_What is the substance coating the surfaces?" _Sai asked.

"It's frost. It's a crystalline structure made from frozen water," Haru told him.

"_It sparkles,"_ Sai observed. _"Sumiko will like it."_

* * *

Sasuke stared at the picture on the wall opposite his desk.

They needed a new portrait. It was almost two standards since their last sitting. The children had all grown so much, even Haru. He sighed, moved a little closer to accepting that they would not all be in Tarrasade for a long time, and decided ask Konohamaru to take one when they returned to Skyburrow.

He dragged his attention away from the portrait and forced himself examine the fiendishly complex search pattern Shikamaru had sent him. He was struggling to concentrate. It was a mixture of anger, caused by Orochimaru managing to distract them with yet more clones, frustration, because catching Kabuto was taking far too long, and anxiety.

The latter overtook him whenever he imagined telling Naruto that they had been going in the wrong direction and that Kabuto was most probably even further away from them than he had been five days ago.

Not that he could be sure. That was the problem. It was all probabilities and algorithms.

He stabbed the intercom. "This is Sasuke. Kakashi-san, please could you come to my office as soon as it is convenient."

Kakashi studied the two patterns. The first was a continuation of what they were doing now, with the Maple and the Elm searching. The second added Tennyos One, Four and Six. Given that Sasuke had repeatedly refused Shikamaru's offer of assistance, they were suspiciously close and could join in the search surprisingly soon.

"Kabuto could escape if you don't use them," Kakashi told him. "If it turns out that Orochimaru is with Kabuto you will have thrown away your opportunity to catch him."

Sasuke sighed. The vendetta was between Uchiha and the Akatsuki. Using Shikamaru's non-Uchiha resources felt wrong.

"You could hire them," Kakashi suggested. Somehow he managed to keep his face straight as he did so.

Even more ridiculously, it made Sasuke feel better. There would be a formal contract for services between Uchiha and Chaaruzu-san in the clan records, just like there were with a multitude of other suppliers.

"I would have to borrow funds from Shika to pay for it," he admitted.

Kakashi shrugged. "You'd pay him back. You always do."

"With credit he earns for me."

"In his role as an advisor sworn to Uchiha. Sasu-kun, the divisions and boundaries the two of you have created are what makes it possible for Shika-kun to serve Uchiha."

Sasuke knew that. It was like with Naruto. Making Naruto or Shika fit to a standard shape would never work. Either they would break or the structure making the shape would shatter. Instead you showed them the shape and asked them to fulfil its function.

They had repaid his trust by doing that and so very much more.

"You are going with the second search pattern?" Kakashi checked.

Sasuke nodded.

Kakashi reached for the interface, checked a few of the parameters and ran the simulation. "So the modal time to locate Kabuto is thirty-seven days."

"Is it?" Sasuke tried to disguise his horror. They had already been away from the children for the better part of a div.

"Sasuke-sama, we needed you with us when we found Pein. We may need you with us when we find Kabuto. We do not need you with us on the Elm during the search."

"But..."

Kakashi continued as if Sasuke had not started speaking. "Ir-chan sent me a long, chatty vid. Apparently Kazuki and Ryuka are courting with Haru as go-between."

"Ha-chan?" Sasuke whispered. Haru was giving advice about relationships?

"Yes, what a notion. Oh, and he sent me this clip of Yuki dancing." He produced a small tablet and held it up for Sasuke to see.

It was all Sasuke could do not to snatch it. Yuki had his back to the camera. He was pushing back his mane and giving what could only be described as a 'come hither' look over his shoulder.

Kakashi started the video. It was only when Yuki's hips started gyrating that Sasuke realised just how low-cut and tight his pants were. Then the tiny image raised its arms over its head, exposing a strip of golden skin below the hem of its shirt, and began turning.

Sasuke watched, horrified, as a pierced navel came into view.

Within twenty minutes Sasuke had replied to Shikamaru and ordered Asuma to send the Dart. He then went to find Naruto.

He was in the office set aside for the queen's use, working on the duty rosters. "You're early," Naruto observed.

Sasuke had not even considered the time. He checked the chronometer. It was forty-three minutes before their regular afternoon slot for training. "I've sent for the Dart. You and I are going back to Skyburrow."

Naruto's eyes lit up and he smiled. "That's great news. Why the change of plan?"

Sasuke visualised the tiny Yuki turning on the tablet's screen. "Shika sent me some updated simulations of the search. We were being too optimistic. Chances are, we won't track Kabuto down for another div. That's far too long to leave the triplets." It was wonderful to see Naruto happy. Forty-three minutes was more than enough time; he locked the door.

Naruto unlocked it from the desk. "No chance, teme. I promised Kakashi-sensei that I wouldn't let you miss a single day." He deactivated the interface he had been using. "No reason we can't move the session forward."

Sasuke sighed. He wished that he had never suggested Kakashi ask Naruto to be his personal trainer.

"And I'll warn En-san that we probably won't be there for the evening meal," Naruto added with a smile.

Suddenly putting training first did not seem so bad; it was too long since they had let growling-possessive or fluffy-soft-Naruto out.

He lay on his back, his chest heaving as his body demanded more oxygen to make good the deficit in his cramping muscles. Naruto always demanded that he go to his limits and, being Naruto, he knew better than Sasuke himself where they were.

Finally Naruto held out a hand; a sure sign that Sasuke would not pass out if he stood up, even if he felt as if he would. He managed to stagger into the steam room, motivated by the thought of Naruto massaging his abused muscles.

It was a heady combination of pleasure and pain as Naruto kneaded away the knots. Finally he was utterly relaxed, with Naruto straddling his thighs to work on his back.

"What changed your mind, teme?" he asked. "Yesterday you were adamant that we were staying with the Elm until we caught Kabuto."

Sasuke thought again of the tiny, gyrating Yuki and the advice Haru might be giving Kazuki. However if he gave voice to those thoughts Naruto would start talking about how he needed to adapt to the reality of the big litter turning fourteen. "I was wrong," he said instead. "I was angry about Pein and I allowed myself to become too focused on the vendetta. Every time I put my family or my crew second, Orochimaru wins a small victory."

There was a purr of approval. Sasuke felt Naruto's breath on the skin of his neck, followed by his whiskers and then his lips.

"Bath?" Naruto queried.

"Bath," Sasuke agreed.

There no spectacular private bathroom in their accommodation on the Elm; it was just two standard crew room units with an opening between them.

Naruto had booked one of the communal bathrooms; using it reminded Sasuke of their time on the Silver Leaf.

They started at the shower end. Sasuke submitted to being washed with a large sponge while Naruto alternatively hummed or purred.

For once it was not arousing; Sasuke was pretty sure that Naruto was thinking about the children.

Then he sat on the small bathing stool while Naruto washed and rinsed his hair. Sasuke sighed. It was his own fault. He had kept Naruto away from the triplets. It was not surprising that he should be more interested in being reunited with them than in fucking.

"Teme?" Naruto queried.

"Nothing," Sasuke replied.

Naruto uttered a small growl of disbelief and then combed conditioner through his hair, exactly like he would for Teruko or Takara.

Sasuke climbed into the bath and enjoyed watching Naruto showering. Not that it took long; within a couple of minutes Naruto was sliding into the bath opposite him.

"Iruka-sensei sent me a long vid about the children," Naruto began. "Rin suggested that Ryuka change her scent, so that Ka-chan wouldn't be so irrationally attracted to her."

He did not like the sound of that. What if it was more than an irrational attraction?

"But Ryuka has decided to get to know Ka-chan first before she does anything so radical."

Sasuke relaxed. Somehow Kazuki acquiring a partner, even one as wild as Ryuka, worried him less than Yuki flaunting himself, or even Haru with Ran. "Good," he confirmed.

"Everyone else is fine," Naruto continued. "Hi-chan is still doing really well project managing the Skyburrow development." He smiled. "They are working on something. Iruka-sensei wouldn't give details; it's a surprise."

That was nice; Sasuke trusted Iruka to make sure they did not do anything dangerous.

Naruto chuckled. "Apparently Yu-chan's campaign to get Five's attention is working."

Sasuke remembered the vid and had no problem believing that. Then the tone of Naruto's voice sank in. "You approve," he observed.

"I like Five," Naruto admitted. "He's a born leader and he truly cares about the people he leads. He has gone out of his way to fit in and gain your approval. I think he and Yuki could be good for each other."

"I thought Five wanted Ran and Haru," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "It would never work. Ha-chan needs to be with Shi-chan and Shi-chan belongs with you. Five should be encouraged to build his own crew, like Inari. Imagine a crew led by Five that had Yuki as queen. Not yet, but in a handful of standards' time. It would be awesome."

A crew needed someone like Iruka or Haku at its heart and yes, if he was being honest, Sasuke could see that Yuki would make a wonderful queen.

He sighed. "It really doesn't bother you."

Naruto held his gaze. "Not the kits and Ryuu. They are so old enough. The only reasons they've tried to wait this long is because they don't want to upset you. You know that they are probably older than I was when we became lovers?"

"We were sixteen," Sasuke complained.

"You were sixteen. I was two standards' older than when I joined the Silver Leaf."

He looked away, unable to take the directness of Naruto's gaze. "What about Ha-chan, Hi-chan and Ho-chan?"

"Well, based on what you were like, they aren't going to be coursing with hormones and raring to go," Naruto admitted, "but they are ready up here..." He tapped his temple. "...to make the decision for themselves."

Sasuke almost said that Haru was too young but managed to stop himself. Naruto would give him that look and remind him, patiently, that Haru had Ran and was therefore in the best possible hands.

He pulled himself together. If he had followed Uchiha tradition he would have been giving Haru and Hikaru to crews as their cats. The truth was that, with the right crews, they would have come through the experience just fine.

"I love you, dobe," he declared, which was always true and would not lead to yet another gentle but persuasive lecture.

Naruto replied with a smile. A second later he was straddling his lap and they were kissing.

***oooOOOooo***

Naruto fell forward onto his chest and nuzzled his neck. Sasuke leaned back, wrapped his arms around him and held him close.

"Love you, dobe," he repeated.

"Love teme," Naruto replied.

It was so tempting to nap: Naruto was snuggled against his chest; the water was warm; he was utterly relaxed. He was on the edge of drifting away, maybe he had, when Naruto shifted against him. Sasuke hugged him closer.

"Time to get out," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke made a half-hearted attempt to hold him but Naruto had wriggled free and was standing up. There was an edge to his smile, a whiff of the predator.

Sasuke took the hint; releasing growling-possessive-Naruto in a communal bathroom was an even worse idea than nesting in the shower.

He went ahead carrying their stuff, leaving Naruto to see to the tub. Once he reached their rooms he walked straight through the first room, which they were using as a sitting room, and into the bedroom. He put the basket on a shelf, folded back the bedcover, threw extra pillows onto the bed, hung his robe on a hook and just managed to make it into the head as Naruto arrived.

Keeping Naruto waiting was part of the fun. Sasuke visualised him pacing up and down. He imagined he heard the occasional small growl through the buzz and swish of the e-machine.

Yet when he opened the door and stepped out, there was no one. Sasuke stood there, momentarily confused, before long arms captured him from behind and he startled.

"Dobe!" he complained; the unfamiliar two room layout offered Naruto far too many hiding places.

Naruto nuzzled his hair. "Teme," he growled.

Sasuke pulled away, or rather Naruto let him go. He walked forward, knowing that Naruto's attention would be focused on his butt.

The possessive growl from behind him gave him a split second to prepare for Naruto sweeping him from his feet and carrying him to the bed.

Growling-possessive-Naruto was out. There was prowling and posing; growling and howling. Sasuke watched, enjoying the display of foxy magnificence. Occasionally he would move toward the edge of the bed and Naruto would freeze, fix him with a stare and give a small warning growl.

Maybe, one day, Sasuke would risk leaving the bed. Not today; he piled up the pillows, waited for Naruto to complete a particularly impressive howl, laid back and exposed his neck.

One leap and Naruto was on all fours above him. Sasuke stayed absolutely still as Naruto sniffed his neck and down his torso before giving a purry growl of approval.

***oooOOOooo***

* * *

Arranging the surprise had been a challenge. As well as tackling the technical challenges, they had to get Sasuke and Naruto to promise not to use any scanners or telescopes between jumping into the system and docking with Skyburrow.

Iruka and Shikamaru had managed to convince Naruto, who had persuaded Sasuke.

They were waiting for the docking bay to pressurise. Shikamaru was carrying Tsuneo while Kiba held Takara and Teruko's hands. The big litter was milling about.

Shikamaru noticed that Yuki's eyepaint had gone and his mane was confined to a plait.

Then the airlock was open and they were off.

Naruto was next to them in a flash. He scooped Takara and Teruko up with one arm and embraced Shikamaru and Tsuneo with the other. Tsuneo reached for his To-chan and Shikamaru moved away.

He stood with Kiba and Iruka at the side, enjoying the spectacle.

Finally it had calmed down enough for Sasuke to greet them. He was carrying Tsuneo.

"You have to wear a blindfold, Papa," Tsuneo was telling him.

"Do I?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, or you will spoil the surprise. You have to promise not to peek."

Sasuke pantomimed a yawn. "Maybe tomorrow, Tsu-chan, or the next day. Your To-chan and I are tired."

Tsuneo's eyes widened and he looked to Shikamaru in alarm.

"Your Papa is teasing you, Tsu-chan," Iruka assured him.

Sasuke gave him a hug. "Got you, Tsu-chan."

"Papa!" Tsuneo complained.

As they walked through the station, Shikamaru could see that Sasuke was struggling. He liked things ordered and to be in control. Instead he was in the dark being towed along by his youngest son.

Naruto was much less concerned as he walked along being guided by Takara and Teruko.

It was only when they entered that they began to catch on. Shikamaru saw Sasuke shiver and Naruto sniffing the air. Then, before they could begin guessing, the blindfolds were whipped away.

"Surprise!" the children chorused.

Shikamaru did not look at the view; he knew what that looked like because they had all laboured for days spreading the snow that Haru's contraption had produced. Instead he watched Sasuke taking in the sheer enormity of the project his children had undertaken and completed.

"Here are your boots, Papa," Hoshi told him.

"And your coat, gloves and scarf," Yuki added.

Naruto was already fully garbed and running into the snow with the triplets following.

Snowpeople had been built, snowballs thrown and sleds ridden. Hikaru had told his parents about the salvage and Haru had explained how the snow machine worked. Shikamaru watched as Sasuke and Naruto left, carrying the triplets and surrounded by their big litter.

"Worth all the effort," Neji's voice observed from behind him.

He turned around. "Every scrap," he confirmed. He gestured towards the trees. "I never thought that I would get them back. The snow is nice, but I can't wait for Ryuka and Kazuki to finish treating them so we can initiate spring."

"The leaves moving in the breeze," Neji suggested.

Shikamaru recalled the light, silvery sound.

"Are you going to visit each tree?" Neji asked.

"I was planning to," Shikamaru admitted.

"May I accompany you?"

He smiled and nodded. "That would be nice."

* * *

...


	64. Uchihasama

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, 'Guest', maliya, melissen, donalgraeme, JustSomeGuy and LillyTigress for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

For the time being, chapters will be posted once a week on a Saturday.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**Chapter 64: Uchiha-sama**

* * *

Sasuke licked his lips. Given that his audience was only the big litter and Naruto, it was ridiculous to be nervous.

Even the choice of venue had bothered him; his office was too small and a meeting room seemed too impersonal. In the end he had decided on the kitchen and explained to the other members of the crew that they needed privacy.

Eleven pairs of eyes, ten blue and one amber, were studying him; waiting.

"This is a clan matter," he began and judged their reaction. Some were puzzled, others curious. Naruto's gaze promised unfaltering support. "Once this meeting is over, what we discuss here must only be mentioned in my office in private conversation with me."

There were nods and the occasional, "Yes, Papa."

He took a deep breath and continued. "Izuna-sama believes he has a legitimate claim on the clan leadership. He was never declared dead. He believes that he is still Uchiha-sama and that I should have stepped aside.

"In truth, we both have a claim on the clan leadership and, perhaps, if Izuna-sama and I had seen Uchiha following the same path, I would have been willing to step aside into the role of heir."

There were murmurs of shock and denial. Sasuke held up a hand.

"However, we do not. Izuna-sama's Uchiha would not be our Uchiha. I have no intention of yielding the clan leadership to him.

"Unfortunately, that does not mean that Izuna-sama is content with the status quo." He looked to Naruto, who nodded. "We believe that he intends to challenge for the leadership, which, as you know, would mean that the future of Uchiha would be determine by a single knife fight."

"You would beat him, Papa," Yasushi declared.

Sasuke smiled. "Thank you, Ya-chan, but we are closely matched and fifty-fifty are not very attractive odds."

"What happens if someone else challenges him?" Kuuya asked.

"In a non-leadership challenge his bodyguard would fight in his place," Naruto answered for him. "Sumaru-san would kill the challenger. I believe that Sumaru-san could defeat any other fighter; certainly me and most probably Kisame-san."

"So this is why you are staying away from Tarrasade," Hikaru observed.

"Yes, this is why I am avoiding being with Izuna-sama in the Tarrasade system," Sasuke confirmed.

Haru was frowning. "Why didn't he challenge before? You and he were in Tarrasade together for divs."

Sasuke had hoped not to go into that. "We aren't sure, Ha-chan. He was recovering his strength and, at first, he did not know that he had not been declared dead. Maybe he, like me, hoped that we shared a vision of Uchiha's future and that there was a nonviolent solution."

Haru was not convinced. "The Oak being attacked is unlikely to have been a coincidence."

Sasuke held up a hand. "We are not going there. It is unacceptable to speculate. At all times, we will act as if Izuna-sama is honourable, even if we believe him to be mistaken. Our behaviour will be beyond reproach."

They chorused, "Yes, Papa."

He moved on. "Shika-san, acting on a lead from Parrad-san, has discovered a possible way forward. What do you know about our clan charter? Ho-chan?"

Hoshi did not hesitate. "The clan charter was written by Izuna Uchiha and his sons and has been amended hundreds of times over the centuries since Uchiha was founded. While charter itself is short and straightforward, the amendments have made it long and complex."

"Exactly. Thank you, Ho-chan," Sasuke acknowledged. "It is within the complexity of those amendments that Shika-san has found something. We have realised that one does not have to be a full-blood Uchiha to challenge for the leadership. You have to have been recognised as an Uchiha at birth in the official naming ceremony, you have to be fourteen standards in age and you have to be sworn to Uchiha."

There was a silence that Hikaru broke. "Not Ry-chan."

"No, not Ry-chan," Sasuke confirmed.

"Papa already told me that it didn't include me," Ryuu added.

Hikaru scowled at him.

"Papa said not to tell you."

Sasuke wondered if he would need to interfere but Hikaru nodded and touched Ryuu on the shoulder in apology.

Kuuya grinned, reminding Sasuke of Naruto at his most feral. "Izuna-sama's fifty-fifty chance of being Uchiha-sama just became zero."

"Once we're fourteen," Haru pointed out. "They remain fifty-fifty up to that time. Does Izuna-sama appreciate the situation, Papa?"

"Not yet. We don't want to give him half a standard to come up with some way of forcing a challenge. At the moment he is complacent. He is only considering you and Hi-chan and no adolescent purebred without a symbiote would have a chance of defeating him."

Sasuke paused and inhaled slowly; it was time to hint at what was to come. "I am not assuming that all of you will be swearing to Uchiha. Some of you may choose to swear to me. Some of you may decide not to swear to me or Uchiha."

There was silence. Judging by their expressions, none of them had ever considered not swearing to Uchiha.

"I shall be speaking to each of you one-to-one over the next few days." He stood up and everyone stood with him. "I am going to my office now. Your Oto-san will stay here, with you. You can talk about what I have told you for up to twenty minutes. After that, what I said at the start applies. There will be no speaking about this matter other than in my office with me present."

He made himself leave. It was only a short walk to his office. He shut the door behind him, sank into the chair at his desk and stared at the new portrait that Konohamaru had taken.

It was less formal than usual. He and Naruto were sitting on a two-seater couch. Takara was on his lap and Teruko was on Naruto's. Tsuneo sat between them. On the floor sat Hoshi, Hikaru and Haru. Kazuki perched on one arm of the couch and Yuki on the other. Behind the couch stood Ryuu with Kuuya and Keizo to his left and Yasushi and Yoshimi to his right. The five of them were standing tall with their arms folded.

The display frame was tall rather than wide; Konohamaru had needed something to make the composition taller. He had added the Uchiha crest, the one that was on the wall behind Sasuke's desk, above Ryuu's head.

It was one of Sasuke's favourite pictures; he was so proud of their two litters.

He went to the alcove and put the kettle to boil. Naruto would be encouraging them to discuss the plan. What they needed to understand was that it was Izuna's perceptions that mattered. He had to be utterly convinced that becoming leader would lead to his death.

Any of the kits would be able to kill Izuna without drawing breath. Itachi had begun training them as soon as they could understand his instructions. As well as their hybrid aptitudes, they were in peak condition, had finely honed skills and an amazing level of control.

He tried to put himself in Izuna's place. Yuki looked cute and harmless. Keizo did not have fangs. Yoshimi and Yasushi, along with Keizo, were berserkers. Sasuke was not sure if that would make them more or less terrifying but he could imagine Izuna thinking that he could take advantage of any lack of control.

Then there was Kazuki. Kazuki was the smallest but the most lethal. No one who had seen him move at top speed could have any illusions of getting in more than one blow.

Sasuke shivered. A fighter as skilled as Izuna would always get in that one strike. He might even risk everything and throw his knife. He was sure that Naruto and Itachi had thought of that, but he made a note to mention it.

That brought him to Kuuya. Sasuke studied his image in the portrait. He was heavier set than Naruto and his fur still had the distinct red tone that had been present when he was born. He showed no sign of any triggered behaviours. Most importantly for Uchiha, he had real leadership potential; perhaps as much as Inari or Five.

Yes, if Shika's plan went awry, if Izuna was too arrogant to believe that a youngster, even a hybrid, could kill him, Kuuya would do just fine as Uchiha-sama.

His door announcer sounded. It was earlier than Sasuke had anticipated; perhaps the children had wanted to think more than they needed to talk.

He walked over to his desk to open the door. As he expected, it was Kuuya; Sasuke had asked Naruto to send him.

"Papa," he acknowledged with a small bow.

"Kuu-chan. Tea?" Sasuke asked, gesturing towards the low chairs.

"Yes, please," Kuuya replied but came over and stood beside him until the tea was ready, so that he could carry the tray to the table.

They sat opposite each other.

"How did the discussion with your Oto-san go?" Sasuke asked.

Kuuya considered before answering. "Well. We understand it is about perception rather than reality. Kei-chan, Yo-chan, Ya-chan and I are going train to be the deterrent. Ka-chan, Yu-chan, Ry-chan and To-chan are going to be the team training us."

Sasuke was impressed. "So you are content to swear to Uchiha?" he checked, pouring the tea.

Kuuya looked at him with Naruto's eyes. "Of course. I never doubted that for a moment." He paused; his whiskers twitched. Then he continued. "Until today, I always assumed I would be serving a full-blood Uchiha and I was fine with that. I still am. I hope to serve you, Papa, until the day I die."

Sasuke froze. It was hard enough to accept that Naruto would leave him without thinking about the kits. He pulled himself together. "Thank you, Kuuya-kun. I am honoured." He made the decision. "If it comes to it, Kuu-chan, you are my first choice to make the challenge."

Kuuya opened his mouth to object but closed it before speaking.

Sasuke was pleased. It showed that Kuuya was thinking things through. "It would be hard, Kuuya-kun. The challenge would have to be made before Izuna-sama could leave the square. You would have to contain your emotions and remain in control. If the others were there, you would have to take action before one of them could do something rash."

Kuuya did not answer immediately, which was good. Sasuke waited. Finally solemn blue eyes fixed his gaze.

"I would be Uchiha-sama," he whispered.

"Yes," Sasuke confirmed.

"Not a purebred Uchiha?"

Sasuke nodded.

"A hybrid?"

"You are Uchiha." Sasuke leaned forward, extended a hand and touched the crest above his son's heart.

Kuuya blinked back tears. "Thank you, Papa. It will never happen, we will not allow it, but thank you."

As Sasuke sipped his tea, he wondered what to say next. He had just decided to begin discussing the minkies and what they should do with them, when the door announcer sounded.

It was Hoshi and Hikaru.

"We were wondering if we could talk with you and Kuu-chan," Hoshi explained.

He invited them in, sat them down and poured tea.

"Hi-chan and I stayed in the kitchen after To-chan and the others had left," Hoshi began. "It was still within the twenty minute limit you set, Papa," she assured him.

He nodded.

"We have a suggestion," Hikaru continued. He looked to Hoshi, who gave him an encouraging smile. "We think you should recognise Kuu-chan as heir when he turns fourteen and swears to Uchiha."

It had never occurred to him. Not even Shika had suggested it.

"Izuna-sama will understand that," Hoshi explained. "He may dispute that Kuu-chan and the others have the right to challenge for the leadership but if Kuu-chan had already been recognised as heir the situation would be absolutely clear."

"And we are fine with it," Hikaru added. "We know that you would not have chosen to pick one of us out like that, but now the situation is different."

"It's about what is best for Uchiha," Hoshi insisted. She took a deep breath. "Even without the threat Izuna-sama poses, at this time Kuu-chan is undisputedly the best choice as heir."

"Yes," Hikaru emphasised. He sat straighter and squared his shoulders. "We would be honoured to serve him as Uchiha-sama."

"Yes," Hoshi agreed. Although we hope it doesn't happen," she clarified.

Sasuke studied them. He wondered whose idea it had been. He guessed Hoshi. If it had been Hikaru he would have come alone. Hoshi understood that Hikaru might be upset or alienated by Kuuya becoming heir. She had therefore recruited him first.

"Papa?" Hoshi hinted.

He realised he had left Kuuya wondering if he was going to accept Hoshi and Hikaru's recommendation. He pulled himself together.

"I had just told Kuu-chan that I wanted him to challenge Izuna-sama if the need arose. As Hi-chan suggested, I am not comfortable with the thought of elevating one of you above the others. However, given the circumstances, formalising the situation by declaring Kuu-chan heir is an excellent idea."

He was rewarded with a blush from Kuuya and genuine smiles from Hoshi and Hikaru.

"Please remember that such matters are only to be discussed in here with me," he reminded them. I shall tell your brothers and your Oto-san."

Hoshi and Hikaru offered to leave, as they had interrupted his time with Kuuya. Instead the four of them discussed the minky problem. Over a thousand minkies had deserted the Akatsuki and surrendered to Uchiha during the vendetta, adding to the thirty youngsters that Itachi and Kiba had used to rescue the unborn kits fourteen standards ago.

Pip and Cot, who had done so much to persuade their fellow minkies to defect, were in stasis with the others. They had insisted, and Kiba had backed them up, that minkies would not be happy living their lives independently. They needed a leader to follow and tasks to do, otherwise they would squabble and make themselves miserable.

"I think the approach Hi-chan used to when salvaging Shika-san's level would work best," Hoshi suggested. "We have a meeting of those with relevant expertise and anyone who wishes to be involved. We then see what emerges."

"Maybe you could start the process, Ho-chan," Sasuke suggested. He remembered his dealings with the minkies on Jewel and their liking for fish. "My instincts tell me that the solution may include the planet, so I would invite Konohamaru-san."

Various other people were suggested; Hoshi brought out a small notebook and made a list. Sasuke was intrigued that she chose to use paper and pencil rather than a tablet.

Then he fixed times to meet with Hoshi and Hikaru one-to-one, had a final few words with Kuuya and went to find Naruto.

He was in his office catching up on HDF correspondence; he smiled and abandoned what he was doing. "How did it go with Kuu-chan?"

Sasuke leaned on the edge of the desk. "Even better than I expected."

Naruto's whiskers gave a querying twitch.

"Ho-chan and Hi-chan suggested that I formally recognise Kuu-chan as heir when he turns fourteen."

Naruto's eyes and mouth were circular with surprise.

Sasuke suppressed a smile and waited patiently for Naruto's mind to start working again.

"As part of the strategy to cope with Izuna Uchiha," he managed finally.

"No, because Kuu-chan is the best choice and if Hi-chan and Ho-chan are fine with the idea there is no reason not to do it."

"But the heir is your choice for who will follow you as clan leader," Naruto pointed out.

"I know that, dobe."

"But he's a hybrid."

"He's my son, Naruto. He is Uchiha."

"Are you sure? What about Kakashi? And Asuma? To them the clan leader is..." Naruto gestured towards Sasuke. "...someone who looks like you."

Naruto's whiskers were drooping. Normally that alone would have made Sasuke reconsider. Not this time; he was certain that making Kuuya heir was the correct decision.

"Even if the crew accepts it, those outside won't," Naruto argued. "You'll be handing Izuna a huge advantage when there isn't any need. It will be enough for him to know that one of the kits will challenge if he becomes leader."

"And then what?" Sasuke demanded. "He steps aside for one of his purebred siblings? Good enough to put his life on the line, good enough to win, but not good enough to lead?"

"You need to be realistic," Naruto insisted. "Most purebreds don't think hybrids are people."

Sasuke could not believe what he was hearing. "So if I put this to a vote at a meeting, you would vote against it?"

"Sasuke," Naruto pleaded.

Disappointment was giving way to anger. "Answer me! Would you vote against Kuuya being made heir?"

There was a moment of silence and then Naruto answered, "Yes, I would vote against it."

It was as if the dream they shared, the life they had built, had slipped through his fingers. Sasuke felt as if his heart had broken.

"I do not know you," he whispered. "Where is my Naruto?"

Naruto was stricken; there was no mistaking how much Sasuke had hurt him. Part of Sasuke wanted to take it back, to gather Naruto to him and hold him, but there was too much anger and too much pain.

He walked away from Naruto's expression of shock and betrayal, out through the door, along one corridor after another. He did not know where he was going; somewhere he did not have to think or feel.

He ended up in Kakashi's office, only Kakashi was far away hunting Kabuto. There, at the back of the cubbyhole inside the desk, where he had known it would be, was a bottle of whisky.

Once it was half empty, he could no longer think or feel.

He could hear voices but they were indistinct and far away.

"Do you think he drank the whole bottle? Wow. I've never known him to drink more than a few shots."

"Thank the Lady he has nanobots. Be useful, Konohamaru-kun. Hand me that hypospray."

"Are you sure, Iruka-san? Maybe we should get a medico."

"Yes, I am sure, and no, we are not involving anyone else." There was pressure against his neck and a slight sting. "You are not to mention this to anyone. Do you understand me, Kono-kun?"

"Yes, Iruka-san." Konohamaru sounded uncertain. "Is this what happens when he argues with Naruto?"

"No, this is what happens when he and Naruto manage to hurt each other and Kakashi is not about to talk some sense into him. Maybe you should make yourself scarce, Kono-kun. He probably would not like the idea of you seeing him like this."

Slowly the world came back into focus. His cheek was in a pool of droll and yet his mouth was completely dry. His eyes felt as if they were filled with sand.

He tried sitting up only to have his head flop first one way and then the next. The sudden movement made him nauseous.

"Sasuke!"

He leaned back in the chair, which, thankfully, had a headrest. "Yes, Iruka-sensei," he managed.

"Good."

A face looked close and there was another sting to his neck. "Ow," he complained. Then, brutally, his surroundings, including Iruka, came into sharp focus. He groaned.

"Naruto will not tell me what happened," Iruka told him. "He says that it is a clan matter."

"It is," Sasuke confirmed.

Iruka held up his hand and pointed to the ring on his duty finger. "Having this makes me clan. Talk."

Sasuke hesitated, not knowing where to start.

"Sasuke, you talk or I swear I will stick my knife somewhere you will not like."

So he explained. It was not in the best order and his words seemed too ordinary to describe what had happened. When he had finished, Iruka leaned across the desk and activated the intercom.

"This is Iruka, Naruto-san, I expect you in Kakashi's office within five minutes."

"What if he won't come?" Sasuke heard himself ask.

Iruka gave him a look.

A few minutes later the announcer sounded and Iruka opened the door from the desk. Naruto was too pale and Sasuke belatedly wondered how long it had been. His eyes went to the chronometer in the corner of the room; it had been morning and now it was late evening.

He had missed two meals, four meetings and, worst, the triplets' bedtime.

"Sit down, Naru-kun," Iruka instructed.

Naruto obeyed. Sasuke saw his gaze go from the empty whisky bottle to the depleted hyposprays.

"Neither of you are to speak until I give you permission," Iruka warned. "Sasuke, when you said you intended to declare Kuuya heir, Naruto imagined Kuu-chan being thrust into the limelight, a focus for anti-hybrid sentiment, reviled and insulted."

Sasuke opened his mouth to object and then shut it again. He had never considered that possibility.

"Naruto," Iruka continued, "when you said that you did not support the idea of Kuuya becoming heir, Sasuke thought that you were saying that Kuu-chan was not worthy because he was a hybrid."

"I would never..." Naruto began, only to be cut off by Iruka's raised finger.

"Having established the basis of the misunderstanding, the other issue the two of you need to discuss is Sasu-kun's overreaction." He picked up the whisky bottle and the hyposprays. "My advice is that the two of you take the rest of this evening to yourselves."

Then he was gone and they were alone. Sasuke still felt strange. He did not know if it was the whisky, the anti-alcohol treatment, the wake-up shot or whatever had possessed him this morning.

"I am sorry about what I said," he began. "I wish I had not. If I could turn back time, I would."

Naruto made eye contact and Sasuke realised he had been avoiding doing so. "I should have done a better job of explaining why I was fine with Kuu-chan challenging Izuna Uchiha and ending up as Uchiha-sama but not with him being heir."

He stood up and came closer. Sasuke did not risk moving his head but he did reach out a hand.

Naruto grasped it. "And I should have stopped you leaving my office, or run after you, or at least gone looking for you."

"I had hurt you," Sasuke acknowledged.

He was suddenly moving and felt sick. He shut his eyes and forced a smile; Kisame had once told him that smiling stopped you throwing up.

"That grimace doesn't qualify as a smile," Naruto told him as they came to a halt. "I don't think it'll work. Warn me if you are going to puke."

Naruto was sitting down. Sasuke was in his lap, wrapped in his long arms with his head resting on Naruto's shoulder. "Have we stopped moving?" he asked.

"For now," Naruto promised him.

Sasuke risked opening his eyes. They were sitting in one of the two comfortable chairs Kakashi had in one corner of his office. Having established their location, he closed them again.

Naruto kissed his forehead. "Tell me what's wrong. Just say what comes into your head."

"Our babies are growing up," Sasuke heard himself say. Did he mean that? Or did he mean that every day that passed was a day less that he and Naruto would be together?

There were small, comforting foxy noises from Naruto.

"Izuna is determined to be clan leader. He would ruin everything we have built together," he added. "He cannot be trusted with the people we love."

"What else, teme?" Naruto asked.

"Pein," he admitted, which surprised him. "Our babies were in the hands of a monster that could do that."

The arms around him tightened. "They are safe now."

Sasuke was on the edge of arguing that Orochimaru and Lady knew how many of his prints were still out there but decided not to. Instead he relaxed into Naruto's embrace.

"Love you, dobe. So sorry."

"Love you, teme. Forgiven."

* * *

...


	65. Possibilities

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, LillyTigress, melissen, donalgraeme and Drago Imperiali, for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. I get ridiculously excited every time someone posts a review and I am incredibly disappointed when a chapter evokes little response.

I am very, very grateful to those of you who review regularly.

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_I wrote the first chapters of 'In the cold of space you find the heat of suns' in December 2009._

_That is three years, 305 chapters and almost one million words ago._

_What a thought!_

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**65: Possibilities**

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Shikamaru hated it when Sasuke and Naruto fell out. At least this episode had been short, because Iruka had interfered. On the other hand, there had been no howls and screams, so Shikamaru was not sure if it was properly resolved.

Sasuke had rescheduled their one-to-one meeting for the following morning. His skin was a funny colour, there were black circles under his eyes and they were drinking coffee rather than tea.

"Don't look at me like that," Sasuke growled at him. "I get enough of that from Iruka."

The pieces came together. "You got drunk? You barely touch alcohol."

"Shika-san!"

Shikamaru flinched. Had he overstepped a line he had not known was there? Usually their one-to-one meetings were informal. He looked forward to them because he could be more of himself rather than just Shika-san.

Sasuke sighed. "I am sorry, Shika. Let's start again. Tell me what's been happening."

It was how their meetings usually began. He talked about whatever came into his head while Sasuke listened and asked the occasional question.

When he stopped, Sasuke poured them both another coffee from the flask.

"What about Centre?" he asked.

"Nothing," Shikamaru confirmed. "Not a peep. Garner says the same. Maybe they didn't believe that I was a typed-seven." He did not think that for a moment. It was more likely that the decision to acquire him was making its way through channels. Centre was like that. It moved slowly but relentlessly.

"And Neji?" Sasuke checked.

"A bit better. He's enjoying the challenge of teaching the youngsters how to read behaviour. In return, our hybrid youngsters and Ran are telling him how they do it, which is interesting for him. He's also been working with Ran and Dan to better predict Akemi's behaviour."

"Dan not Rin?"

"It would appear that pregnant women, even Rin-san, stop caring about anything but their baby when the birth is this close." Shikamaru remembered his Pa telling him stories about how mellow his Ma had been, although he had struggled to believe it.

"The baby is overdue," Sasuke observed.

"Apparently some variation is normal. Dan says they will induce the birth if the process does not begin within the next three days."

"I don't understand why they didn't just cut the baby out once she was old enough."

Shikamaru gave him a look. "Oh, and you and Na-chan didn't make sure the birth of your children was something memorable and special."

Sasuke coloured, which made him look considerably better. "Can't see being squeezed through a birth canal is that good a start in life."

"Didn't do me any harm," Shikamaru pointed out.

Sasuke gave a humph, conceded the point and changed the subject.

"There is a confidential matter I wish to discuss with you," he began.

Shikamaru expected it would be to do with what Sasuke has discussed with the big litter in the kitchen the day before. He suspected it was also related to Sasuke and Naruto's disagreement.

"Ho-chan and Hi-chan have suggested that I nominate Kuu-chan as heir."

It was a fresh and interesting way forward. However, there was a huge difference between taking advantage of an archaic definition to scare off Izuna and actually choosing a hybrid with no genetic relationship to Uchiha as the official heir. "Good for them," Shikamaru acknowledged. "What did you say?"

Sasuke scowled at him. "Not you too."

So Naruto had not reacted well to the idea. Different trains of thought set off in a variety of directions. "Sasuke, what did you say?"

"I said that it was an excellent idea."

Shikamaru could see that Sasuke meant that with every fibre of his being. His spirit lifted; this was the new Uchiha.

"It is, given that Hi-chan and Ho-chan are fine with it," Sasuke continued. The scowl softened. "Only Naruto is worried that outsiders will react badly, be vile about Kuu-chan and turn against us."

"Some will," Shikamaru agreed. "But many fewer than would have a decade ago."

"I want you to think it through; create and run models. We need to understand as many of the possible outcomes as we can. Then I can talk it through with Kuu-chan and Naruto before we go further." He sighed. "Kuu-chan was there when Hi-chan and Ho-chan suggested it."

Shikamaru understood. "Then he knows you want to do it. If it turns out it's a bad idea, he will understand."

Sasuke relaxed a little. "Yes, I think he would."

"Just me," Shikamaru checked. "You don't want me to mention it to anyone else?"

"No one who does not know already," Sasuke clarified. "That's Naruto, Iruka, Ho-chan, Hi-chan and Kuu-chan. I would prefer you not to discuss it with Ho-chan, Hi-chan and Kuu-chan."

Shikamaru sipped his coffee, waiting for the first queries to float up from the lower levels of his mind. Sasuke was silent, familiar with the way he thought and content to wait with him.

"How many of the big litter will swear to Uchiha?" he began.

"Not sure yet. Definitely Kuu-chan, Kei-chan, Yo-chan and Ya-chan. I'll tell you the others when they decide."

"Are there any who you don't want to swear to Uchiha?"

Sasuke did not answer immediately, which gave Shikamaru all the information he needed.

"Haru," he said, answering his own question.

"I don't want him thinking it's because I do not have faith in him," Sasuke insisted.

"May I speak to him about it?" Shikamaru asked. "It might help him understand."

Sasuke considered and then nodded.

He had no other questions for the time being and Sasuke had three other missed appointments to make up, so they terminated the meeting early. Shikamaru headed off to check on people before he settled down to some work.

Naruto was first on his list. Given the time he would neither be in the gym nor with the triplets, so he could be anywhere. He turned out to be in the kitchen with Iruka, which fuelled Shikamaru's suspicion that the incident between him and Sasuke was not fully resolved.

Shikamaru sat down at the table with them. "Anyone within earshot?" he asked.

Naruto checked. "No, only the three of us."

"Sasuke looks awful. How bad was he yesterday?"

Iruka gave a disapproving sniff.

"Bad," Naruto admitted.

Shikamaru rubbed Naruto's upper arm. "He's asked me to look into it. You both have valid points. Maybe he's being too optimistic. Maybe you're being too fearful."

Iruka smiled. "Who would have ever thought it would be that way around?"

"Sometimes I don't understand him," Naruto admitted. "He goes into full over-protective parent mode at the merest suggestion that they are fucking but he's willing to put one of them up as a target for anti-hybrid fanatics across known space."

"Oh Naru-kun, think. What terrified Sasuke when he was young?" Iruka asked.

Naruto looked blank.

"Opening himself up to more loss and pain and grief," Shikamaru answered for him.

"And what were you most scared of?" Iruka continued.

Understanding dawned in Naruto's eyes. "Being rejected or even killed because people saw me as a monster rather than a person."

Shikamaru decided to push Iruka's point home. "Na-chan, which do you think Kuu-chan is scared of?"

Naruto smiled. "Neither, because he's been loved and kept safe." Then he frowned. "It doesn't mean he'll be immune to the horrid things people say about him."

"And it won't mean he'll never get his heart broken," Iruka pointed out. "It does mean that he should be better able to cope with either."

Next on Shikamaru's list was Sumiko. She was in the playroom. To someone else it would look like she was isolated; buried in an alcove with her back to the world.

Shikamaru knew better; she had her earpiece in and therefore Sai was with her. He crept up behind her.

He was almost there when she whipped around.

"Nii-san," she warned.

He decided to take advantage of his size and strength, plucking her out of her seat for a hug and a tickle.

"Nii-san!" she shrieked.

He stopped tickling and was rewarded by an unexpected kiss on the cheek; she really was much happier since Sai returned.

Shikamaru activated his earpiece and throat mike so that Sai could be properly included while Sumiko told him about what she had been doing.

He had spent a number of sessions with Sai explaining about learning; the difference between encouraging Sumiko and doing the assignments for her. It seemed to be working; Iruka and Kiba were pleased with her progress.

Even her attitude to Neji had improved. Shikamaru had negotiated a deal by which Neji stayed out of her room in return for her neither ignoring him nor being downright rude.

It was a long way from what the three of them had shared before Neji had been kidnapped. Shikamaru did not see a way back. It wasn't what had happened with Hinata that was the insurmountable barrier, it was Sai.

Sumiko was happy to continue with her assignment, so Shikamaru left the two of them to it and moved on to number three on his list; Neji.

Not that he could resist a quick visit with the triplets. Teruko and Takara were painting pictures while Tsuneo had decided to make a dragon out of modelling clay.

"It isn't turning out like I wanted," he admitted sadly, studying the blobby body with its drooping wings.

"Well maybe it's before or after he looked the way you imagined him looking," Shikamaru proposed.

Tsuneo frowned, thinking, and then gave one of his breathtaking, Naruto-esque smiles. "When he was an old dragon or a baby dragon?"

"Exactly," Shikamaru encouraged.

"A baby dragon wouldn't be lopsided," Takara observed.

"It might be," Teruko pointed out. "Like Isaribi-kun was before Kotohime-san made her arms alike."

"Or it could be an older dragon," Tsuneo suggested. "His wings could have been damaged when he saved everyone and then he got fatter like Choza-san did when he stopped being an elite fighter. Maybe he uses his fire to cook the food and everyone likes him because he's so kind." He studied his model again. "I'll think about it."

"You do that," Shikamaru replied.

Talking to the triplets had delayed him; Neji had finished his session discussing how to read behaviour and was back in his office preparing for his meeting with Sasuke.

"How is he?" Neji asked with one eye on the indicator lights above the door to Sasuke's office.

"Pulling himself together," Shikamaru answered. "He may not be ready to talk about what happened yesterday."

Neji nodded. "And Naruto-san?"

"Iruka is working on him."

The light above the door turned to blue. "Must go," Neji warned him and was gone.

Shikamaru sighed. Neji had neither hugged him nor kissed him, which meant that he was not behaving as if a hug or a kiss was welcome.

He wished Haku was around. Maybe he should risk talking to Iruka. Then he imagined Iruka interrogating him; maybe not.

He went through to his laboratory and activated an interface. It was tempting to dive into the data streams, or shift through the incoming communications, or begin the task Sasuke had set him. Instead he pinged Haru.

The door between their rooms opened. Haru was at his desk rather than his workbench. "There's going to be a meeting about the minkies," he announced.

Shikamaru glanced at what he was doing; it was something to do with the toad hybrids' planet.

"Oh and Rin-san is in the early stages of the birth process," he added. "Ran is one of those on standby in case there is a medical issue."

"Good," Shikamaru acknowledged.

"I think Papa thinks that the minkies would be happiest on the planet because they like fish. Only Papa hasn't seen the crocodiles and the giant snakes and the fish with teeth that hunt in packs."

"Well the ecosystem must be healthy to support so many predators, particularly the big ones," Shikamaru pointed out.

"I guess so," Haru replied although he did not seem convinced that crocodiles, snakes and fish with teeth could be considered positive. "I'm researching selective barriers. Even if we don't build minky-sanctuaries on the planet, they'd be useful for Riki-san and the others. Maybe we could order some and set up tests on the surface. With Gama-sama's permission, of course."

"Maybe we need better information about different conditions on the surface," Shikamaru suggested.

Haru's expression lit up and his fingers flew over the interface. "I was thinking that we could adapt some of the drones and probes that I used to look for Sai."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, you need drones and probes designed to withstand the conditions on a planet. You need to look into the kit the Central Colonial Service used. May I?"

Haru handed over the interface. Within a few minutes Shikamaru had extracted the relevant data from the copy of the Centralite archive that Klenn had given him.

"Do you want it sent to your array?" he asked.

Haru nodded and then sampled the stream as it flowed in. "This is great, Shi-chan. Thanks."

"Anytime." He resolved to find time to filter the Centralite archive, identify the information that could have been obtained from other sources and integrate it into the Uchiha library.

Haru glanced away from the display, his fingers poised over the interface. "Did you want something specific?" he queried. "You used the 'I want to talk to you about something' ping."

Shikamaru hoped he did not mess this up. "Yes," he admitted. "When is your appointment with your Papa?"

Haru immediately put the display and interface on standby. "Tomorrow. It was meant to be this morning but..." He looked miserable and shrugged.

"It'll be fine, Ha-chan," Shikamaru assured him. "Even the closest of couples have occasional disagreements."

"You and Neji-san broke up and you had been together almost as long as Papa and To-chan," Haru pointed out.

"There is no comparison, Ha-chan," Shikamaru insisted. "You know that." He judged Haru's reaction; he seemed reassured. "I want to talk to you about something," he admitted. "I need you to listen."

Haru nodded.

Shikamaru look a deep breath and began. "When your Papa was your age everyone thought he was the last Uchiha. Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha were synonymous. When it came to us making our vows, most of us swore to Uchiha and, in our minds, we were swearing to Sasuke and his new Uchiha.

"Only we weren't. We were swearing to Uchiha. I owe loyalty and obedience to any Uchiha. I can only disobey an adult Uchiha if your Papa countermands his or her orders. If someone else was Uchiha-sama, I would have to obey him or her utterly."

Haru's eyes widened as what he was saying sank in.

"The situation is the same for all of us sworn to Uchiha rather than your Papa personally, but..."

"The others aren't typed-seven geniuses," Haru whispered.

"Or a typed-five," Shikamaru added.

Haru opened his mouth to deny the label but thought better of it. He frowned, considering. "Ran is sworn to Uchiha," he pointed out.

Shikamaru was ready for that. "Well we all know the way out of that," he hinted and was rewarded by Haru turning a delightful shade of pink. "And the great thing about that is that there isn't any rush, because all it requires is you and Ran and a plaque."

Haru frowned. "No, it would have happen while I was part of the clan. If Papa..." He stopped and then pushed on. "If I swore to Papa and Papa died, I would be out of the clan."

It was true. Shikamaru sighed. "You'll have to think all the possibilities through for yourself. I just wanted you to know that if I could turn back time, I would swear to your Papa personally. Everyone would have been safer that way."

* * *

Haru's mind was whirling. Snippets of information were swirling about. He was sure they fitted into a pattern but he didn't know how.

When Shi-chan asked if he wanted to be on his own to think Haru answered yes. Then, as soon as Shi-chan left, he closed down everything he had been doing and created a secure folder.

He could keep anyone other than Sai out, even Shi-chan. He had to trust that Sai would take notice the tag that told him that Haru didn't want to share.

It was obvious to Haru who Shi-chan had been talking about. It was Izuna-sama who could not be trusted. Just like it was Izuna-sama who had told Centre about Shi-chan.

Just like it was Izuna-sama who had told the Akatsuki where and when to find the Oak, even if Papa would not confirm it.

He made two subfolders. One he would use to accumulate information about Izuna-sama. The other one was for other clan stuff, starting with a model of what could happen with the clan leadership.

Before they turned fourteen, Izuna-sama could challenge, kill Papa and then do what he liked, including not allowing any of them to swear to Uchiha or setting up situations where their survival was unlikely. Papa's way of dealing with this was to stay away from Tarrasade, so a challenge was impossible.

Once they were fourteen the situation would change. Even if Izuna-sama managed to force a challenge, he wouldn't stay Uchiha-sama for long because one of the kits would challenge him. The problem was, what would Izuna-sama do once he realised that?

He wouldn't behave with honour like Papa would; Haru was sure of it. He might stay on the right side of the clan rules but he would do nasty, sneaky stuff like telling Centre about Shi-chan.

There wasn't that much wiggle-room in the clan charter, even with the amendments. As far as Haru could see, the only thing Izuna-sama could do was flood the clan with loyal full blood Uchihas and change the charter. Given that Papa had a five-strong, fourteen-standard start on him, that didn't seem very likely.

No, Izuna-sama's best bet was to declare that he had always been Uchiha-sama, was still Uchiha-sama and that Papa was, at best, acting clan leader or, at worst, an usurper.

Even then, that only set him up to be challenged by one of the kits.

Haru shook himself. He had his meeting with Papa tomorrow. Was Shi-chan right? Should he swear to Papa rather than Uchiha?

Not swearing to Uchiha meant never being clan leader but Haru was fine with that.

Swearing to Papa could give him more freedom. It also recognised the possibility that, in the future, he might want to do something that wasn't all about the clan.

It meant never having to obey Izuna-sama, which was good. It could be very good; he would be able to pursue possibilities that were closed to Shi-chan.

That left Ran. Being sworn to Papa when Ran was sworn to Uchiha meant that they could be separated but it didn't seem very likely and there was always the solution Shi-chan had suggested.

Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to Ran before his meeting with Papa.

He shut down his systems and made his way down to the infirmary. Once there he lurked outside, reluctant to go onto Rin-san's territory even though she was busy pushing the baby out.

No one entered or left, so he had no way of getting a message to Ran. He was considering asking Sai to help when Iruka-sensei rounded the corner of the corridor.

"Haru-kun," he acknowledged. "Are you hoping to see Ran?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei, but I didn't want to disturb Rin-san."

Iruka-sensei smiled. "I think she is a little too busy to notice you, Haru-kun. Let's go in, shall we?"

Ran told him that the 'labour', which was the proper word for pushing the baby out, was going smoothly, Dan-san and Rin-san had everything under control and Isaribi was back from having a nap so Ran was going off-duty until the evening.

"It will probably be over by then," Iruka-sensei suggested.

"I want to be there when Kiba-san extracts the stem cells from the umbilical cord," Ran replied.

"Does he know?" Iruka-sensei checked.

"Yes, he promised to call me if I wasn't on duty. He gave me a pager." Ran dug the small device out from his pocket.

"I recommend that you have your midday meal and then have a rest." Iruka-sensei smiled at them. "I am sure Haru-kun will look after you. Off you go, I am going to stay here for a while."

Ran was excited about the 'labour' and chatted about it all the way back to the crew room. Haru enjoyed the rare experience of Ran being talkative. Some bits were interesting, like Rin-san deciding to use a 'birthing pool', but most of the details were pretty yucky; Haru was glad he was male-only so any children he had would come out of gestators.

Finally Ran either finished what he had to say or detected Haru's squeamishness. "Did you have your meeting with Sasuke-sama?" he asked.

"No, Papa postponed it until tomorrow," Haru admitted.

Ran certainly picked up on his feelings about that. "Do you know what they argued about?"

Haru shook his head. "No, but both To-chan and Shi-chan implied they'd made up. I think it was about clan-stuff."

"The stuff you can't talk about," Ran checked.

Haru nodded.

They reached the kitchen and Misora let them get their midmeal early because Ran had been in the infirmary since station dawn. They packed a basket and escaped into Ran's room.

"No food on the bed," Ran warned.

Ran was always fussy about that. They pulled out the desk so that they could sit either side with the food arranged on the surface. Ran even spread a cloth to catch the crumbs.

Haru found himself wondering if they would ever have their own sitting room, which led to thoughts about being a couple and plaques.

"Haru?" Ran queried.

"Shi-chan thinks I should swear to Papa rather than Uchiha," Haru began.

"It doesn't seem to make much difference."

"It could do," Haru admitted. He couldn't mention Izuna-sama or the clan leadership; Papa had forbid them from doing so. "Papa could release me and I would be automatically released when he dies."

Ran caught on immediately. "While I have made a life-long commitment."

Haru imagined them being separated with Ran in the clutches of Izuna-sama. "I'll swear to Uchiha," he insisted.

"Haru, if Shika-san spoke to you about it, if he recommends you swear to Sasuke-sama, it must be important."

Haru had told himself he wasn't going to mention the plaque but the words tumbled out of his mouth as if of their own accord.

"There is one vow that could override your commitment to Uchiha."

There was silence. Ran was looking at him. Haru flushed. His toes were curling and his gut twisting. Finally Ran spoke.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, me walking around wearing a plaque that announced I was yours?"

Haru started to panic. What should he say? He loved the idea. Even the thought of it gave him a stiffy. "Yes," he admitted reluctantly.

To his surprise Ran smiled. "You Uchihas are so possessive."

"You don't hate the idea?" Haru queried.

Ran made a show of considering, "No, I do not hate the idea, Haru Uchiha."

* * *

...


	66. Searching

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, melissen and donalgraeme for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.

I am very, very grateful to those of you who review regularly.

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**66: Searching**

* * *

Haru was looking for Kazuki but he had only managed to find Ran, who was where Haru expected to find Ran, in Ran's room.

"You thought Kazuki would be here?" Ran queried.

"Not really. He's not on watch and he isn't in his room."

"So the next place you looked for him was here?" Ran asked in disbelief.

Haru felt himself flush. "Well I was checking the rest of the crew room and your room was there."

"Haru, do you want me to keep you company while you look for Kazu-kun?"

"Yes, please," Haru admitted.

"Where are we going?" Haru asked when he realised that they weren't heading for the zero gravity gym or the ordinary gym or Shi-chan's level or any of the other places he thought Kazuki might be in the evening.

Ran sighed. "Where do you think the trainees hang out?"

"In their rooms?" Haru suggested. "In each others' rooms?"

"That describes you and me and pretty much no one else," Ran informed him. "The girls and Yuki hang out in hydroponics."

"They do? Why?"

"Because none of the adults go there and the flowers are pretty."

"We aren't going to hydroponics," Haru observed.

"No, because you want to find Kazu-kun. He and the other males, with the exception of you, me and Yuki, hang out here." He stopped beside a door and punched in a combination.

It was meant to be a storeroom but it only contained a few token packing cases. There were couches, an odd assortment of gym equipment and strange music.

Ryuu and Five were competing to see who could do the most chin-ups. Keizo was counting for Ryuu and Kuuya for Five. Hikaru and Keitaro were playing Go. Yasushi and Yoshimi were entwined in a large chair watching a vid playing on a tablet.

Kazuki was sprawled across one of the couches; asleep and snoring gently.

Haru didn't know what he thought. Why had no one told him about the room? Did they dislike him so much that they had agreed to exclude him? Did they think he belonged with the girls and Yuki?

Ryuu spotted him and dropped to the floor, aborting the competition with Five. "Ha-chan!"

Yasushi snatched the tablet from Yoshimi and buried it under a cushion. "You could have told us you were bringing him, Ran," he complained.

It didn't make Haru feel very welcome.

Kuuya came over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Code for the door is one-four-one-four."

First four digits of the square root of two; Haru would have no problem remembering that.

"We decided that you and Hi-chan were too young," Kuuya explained. "Only he turned up a couple of days ago and you today so you're obviously not."

It helped to know that Hikaru had also been excluded. It also made Haru wonder what they got up too.

"They talk about fucking and watch porn," Ran elucidated.

"Papa won't like it if he finds out," Keizo added, "but he'll go ballistic if he finds out we've been doing it in front of you."

"Even To-chan would lecture us," Ryuu emphasised.

Haru didn't know who he was more annoyed with, his brothers or his parents.

"I can't see there's any difference between me being here and Hi-chan being here," he complained.

"Hi-chan was never kidnapped by people who had no intention of ever giving him back," Kuuya pointed out.

Was that really at the root of it? He'd been back home for nine standards.

"To-chan used to cry every day and then pretend he hadn't," Ryuu recalled.

There were far too many pairs of sad eyes and drooping whiskers.

"I probably won't hang out here much," he assured them. It was true; competitive exercise and porn weren't his favourite activities. Even Go didn't attract him unless he had Shi-chan or Neji-san to play against. "I need to talk to Ka-chan before I talk to Papa tomorrow."

He started over towards the couch where Kazuki was sleeping. Ka-chan's eyelids fluttered and then opened. He sat up.

"You're here," he stated.

"Well observed," Haru retorted. "I need to talk to you." He went to sit down but Kazuki stood up.

"We'll go somewhere more private," Kazuki decided. "Is Ran coming?"

Ran sat down on the couch. "No, I think Haru needs to speak with you alone."

Haru hesitated; he wasn't too keen on leaving Ran with Five. Then he caught the warning look in Ran's eyes. "Fine. Let's go, Ka-chan." He leaned down and gave Ran a quick peck on the lips. "See you later."

When he stood up Ran was looking wide-eyed up at him, which Haru discovered he rather liked.

"Kissing Ran? Is that new or have the two of you been doing it for divs?" Kazuki asked once they were in the corridor with the door shut behind him.

"It's new," Haru admitted. He wanted to tell someone and Ka-chan was probably his best choice. "Ran said he didn't hate the idea of wearing my plaque."

Kazuki stared at him.

Haru flushed. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Shi-chan thinks I should swear to Papa rather than Uchiha. He says that he wishes they had thought through the difference between the two when he took his vow."

"Makes sense," Ka-chan decided. "If Shika-san was sworn to Papa he would be released if Papa was killed. The person who killed him would have made himself one dangerous and powerful enemy."

Was Shi-chan dangerous? Haru guessed he could be, like Klenn-san had been.

"So which are you going to do?"

"Swear to Papa but I want a plaque so I can always keep Ran with me."

They walked along a little way in silence. Haru had hoped that Kazuki would start talking about his plans but he supposed it didn't matter. He had done his bit; he had warned Ka-chan of what he intended to do.

"I guess that makes my mind up," Kazuki said suddenly. "I'll swear to Papa."

"You'll be giving up your claim on the clan leadership," Haru pointed out.

Ka-chan snorted. "Ha-chan, there is a big difference between a few whiskers and a tail. Believe me, purebreds are not ready for someone who looks like me leading Uchiha. Anyway, if you end up outside the clan I want to be there with you until someone decent is leading Uchiha and we can get back in."

It was a huge relief to know that he and Ran wouldn't end up out there on their own. "Thanks, Ka-chan."

"I'll talk to Ryuka," Kazuki added. "She's still on probation but she'll be swearing before us."

Haru was intrigued. Ka-chan had not mentioned Ryuka recently. Thinking about it, he had been a lot less tense lately. Haru remembered him sprawled across the couch; when he was anxious he slept curled up.

"How are things between you and Ryuka?" he asked.

Kazuki paused for a moment. His ears moved, checking who was within earshot. "It was hopeless at first. All I could think about was her scent." He grinned. "We've worked out a solution to that."

"Which is?" Haru asked.

"We fuck. Nothing romantic, just a quick fuck. Works like a dream."

Haru was so shocked that he stopped walking. He had to run a few steps to catch up. "You and Ryuka are a couple then?"

"No. Not yet, maybe never. We just fuck. Only takes a minute in a cupboard or storeroom. I squirt. she does what females do and we can be with each other without thinking about fucking for the rest of the day. Usually. Sometimes we have to do it again in the afternoon."

"But do you like her?" Haru insisted.

Kazuki considered. "Maybe. It's tricky. She's all prickles and defence mechanisms. She never had anyone to rely on. The only people she really trusts are Kiba-san, 'cos he raised her when she was a cub, and To-chan because he's To-chan. I got this kind of second-hand, low-level trust because of my connections to them, which gave me a starting point."

Haru decided to stay quiet but gave what he hoped was an encouraging nod.

"Captain Bull was right to pick her out. She's clever and quick-witted and strong and fast. It's just whether she can trust other people enough to be a reliable member of a team."

"Maybe all she needs is to learn to trust one person," Haru suggested.

Ka-chan smiled at him. "Having Ran has turned you into such a romantic."

"Do I have him?" Haru heard himself ask.

"Ha-chan, if he's willing to even contemplate wearing your plaque then the two of you are further along than most of the couples in the crew. It's a lifelong, irreversible commitment."

The thought of which did not worry Haru in the slightest.

* * *

The door announcer sounded at precisely the allotted time; Sasuke imagined Haru waiting in the corridor, his eyes fixed on his chronometer. Sasuke opened the door, gestured Haru towards one of the comfortable chairs and went to add boiling water to the teapot.

Sasuke placed the tray on the low table between them. Haru was looking in the direction of the portrait but, judging by his expression, his mind was somewhere else entirely.

It was strange that a person could be so like him and yet so like Shikamaru.

"Haru-kun," he hinted.

Haru jumped slightly and flushed. "Papa," he acknowledged.

"Have you thought about what you want to do?" he asked as he poured the tea.

Haru nodded as he accepted the tea cup. "Yes, Papa, I think it would be best if I swore to you rather than Uchiha."

Sasuke tried not to allow his relief to show. Garner Parrad did not want Haru told that he was heir to Klennethon Darrent's fortune before he was twenty, but Sasuke was not sure he could have allowed Haru to give it up without knowing what he was doing.

Even so, he had to be sure that Haru understood.

"It will mean you would be extremely unlikely to become clan leader," he pointed out.

Haru smiled. "It isn't going to happen, Papa. I used to be third choice, then fifth, now twelfth and that is only in this generation."

Sasuke smiled in return. He did not think that he would put Haru so far down the list but it was true that he had limited leadership potential and, more importantly, that he would hate it.

"We have more flexibility this way," Haru continued. "Also, my loyalty will be with you and you alone."

A warning bell sounded in Sasuke's head. There was only one other senior Uchiha. How much did Haru know about what Izuna had been up to? Did he know that Izuna had tried to rape Shikamaru? If he did, Sasuke needed to know. "It is acceptable to talk about Izuna-sama but only within this office and with only me," he encouraged.

It worked. "Izuna-sama has told Centre about Shi-chan," Haru complained.

Sasuke was shocked. Thinking about it, he had not told Shikamaru not to tell Haru. "I did not know that Shika-san had told you that," he admitted.

Haru was silent for a moment. "He probably thought I should know because it is on record that he is my genetic father, so they might take me for testing."

The thought of it made Sasuke's gut twist.

"You know that Shi-chan will join the Central Civil Service if Centre comes for him?" Haru checked.

Sasuke did. Worse, he had not ordered Shikamaru not to do so because, if that was the only way to save Haru, Sasuke would want him to do so.

"Yes," he admitted. "But I trust him not to do it unless it is absolutely necessary."

Haru did not look convinced but Sasuke chose to leave it.

"Being sworn to me does not exempt you from treating Izuna-sama with respect, Haru-kun," he warned and then waited.

"Yes, Papa," Haru answered reluctantly. He shifted and looked uncomfortable.

It reminded Sasuke of all the things Haru had got up to when he was younger. He tried a stern look and Haru flushed.

"Papa, there is one problem about swearing to you."

Sasuke waited. Was Haru going to admit to some horrendous misdeed?

"Ran."

On balance, Sasuke was relieved; he already knew about Ran. "You are too young to be worrying about that."

Haru's expression changed to one that Sasuke had seen only once before; on the other side of his desk the day Haru had refused to give up his tablet.

It was up to him to ensure that this encounter did not end as badly as that one. "Ha-chan..."

"I could end up out of the clan, leaving him under Izuna-sama's control," Haru argued. "I cannot allow that to happen."

Sasuke's retort died before it could reach his lips. He remembered that awful night when he had thought that Naruto was going to be taken from him. They had not been lovers then; all he had known was that Naruto was too important to him to lose.

He sighed. "You may have a plaque on your fourteenth birth anniversary. Please do not rush into giving it to Ran unless it is an emergency."

Haru was out of his chair and heading around the table for a hug. Sasuke only just managed to stand up in time.

"Thank you, Papa," Haru mumbled from his chest.

It was unlike Haru to be so demonstrative. Sasuke kissed the top of his son's head. "You are welcome, Ha-chan."

They would have talked further, or at least finished their tea, if the intercom had not clicked.

"_This is Shikamaru. There is a top priority message from Inari-san."_

Inari has been following a lead from one of Shikamaru's Tennyos. "Please excuse me, Ha-chan," Sasuke said as he stood up and headed for his desk.

"Shall I go?" Haru asked.

"Not yet," Sasuke replied. He reached the desk and activated the intercom. "This is Sasuke. Send the message though."

"_This is Shikamaru. Have done. I am outside your door."_

Sasuke wondered why Shikamaru had not used the announcer. He opened the door.

Shikamaru was obviously excited. Sasuke was impressed that he managed to notice Haru was there and not pour out the news.

"I'll go," Haru volunteered.

"We'll talk more later," Sasuke assured him as he escorted him to the door.

"Sorry, Ha-chan," Shikamaru added.

Haru smiled. "It's fine. Papa and I had talked about the most important stuff."

As soon as the door shut behind Haru, Shikamaru started. "They've found something that is probably a stasis unit."

"Is Kabuto inside?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru shook his head. "They can't tell. A stasis unit would have a thicker than usual radiation shield; nothing in and nothing out. Even if we managed to activate the transponder we probably wouldn't detect its signal."

Sasuke nodded. He was opening Inari's message but it was quicker to listen to Shikamaru.

"There was a ship. It probably delivered the stasis unit to the system. It was blocking the hole. Inari used a sub-optimal hole as a back door."

"Was?" Sasuke queried.

"It exploded as soon as Inari scanned it."

No wonder Inari thought that he was on the right track. "Casualties?"

"None. Inari used a probe. Probably none their end either. Initial analysis of the debris suggests that the ship was unmanned. Having an automated delivery system would increase security."

Being willing to sacrifice a ship with a Mulligan drive suggested that whatever was in the stasis unit was important. Perhaps it was not just Kabuto.

Sasuke suppressed the thought; Orochimaru would not risk keeping Kabuto with him.

"There'll be other stasis units," Shikamaru was saying. "Like the one the original Orochimaru is in. We need to keep this unit intact so that we can study it."

It would probably blow up as soon as they began investigating; Kabuto was not that important to the Akatsuki.

"I need to be there, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke stopped considering implications and focused on Shikamaru. "No."

"But..."

"It could be a trap. It is out of the question. You can consult from here."

"But there isn't a minigated communication route and even if there was, the delays would make decision-making too slow."

"Inari and Kakashi will establish a minigated communication route." He caught Shikamaru's reaction. "Is that already in hand?"

Shikamaru nodded. "They've put together the best team from both crews to investigate the stasis unit. It's going to be based on the Maple. Kakashi is going to lay the minigate string using the Elm."

Sasuke wondered if Kakashi could come home once the minigate string was complete. He hoped so.

"Sasuke..."

"No, Shika. You are staying here."

"I wasn't going to ask that," Shikamaru complained. "Can Haru work on it with me? He's phenomenal at security systems."

At breaking them; Sasuke remembered trying to explain to a tiny Haru why breaking the barriers Shikamaru had built between him and the data streams was a bad idea. However, working with Haru would compensate Shikamaru for having to stay in Skyburrow. "Yes, Haru can work with you on the problem."

* * *

Shikamaru walked slowly back to his laboratory. He was disappointed but he knew it was pointless arguing when Sasuke was so adamant.

He settled at his desk. It would be so much easier if he were there. Even with Inryoku as point and a mini-gated communication route, it was going to be frustratingly slow.

"I could get in," Sai announced.

Shikamaru jumped. "You could have knocked," he complained.

"I was here when Inari-san's message arrived," Sai reminded him. "I am still here. You did not tell me to go away."

"You viewed the message?"

"You opened it with me here."

He would have to be more careful in future; this time there wasn't a problem because Sasuke would be making an announcement at the evemeal.

"I could get into the system of the craft you believe to be a stasis unit," Sai reiterated. "Systems designed by fresh and blood people do not recognise my code. It is not even detected."

"You aren't there, you are here," Shikamaru reminded him. "And you are not allowed to use your code outside your array."

"Haru might give permission," Sai suggested.

"In-san would recognise the code as odd and even if he didn't, he would pester me to show him how we had managed it. No, we will get in, we just have to be patient."

"You do not like being patient," Sai pointed out.

"Sometimes we have to put up with things we do not like," Shikamaru admitted.

There was a pause. Shikamaru tensed with anticipation. Lady knew how many thoughts Sai had processed during that time. "You could get better at breaking security without being detected."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to object and then closed it again. He had always considered himself the best hacker in known space but it was no longer true. He was the best flesh and blood hacker. This could be interesting.

"Haru could make systems. I could break them and you could try," Sai explained. "You could then learn by examining how I did it. You could develop methods based on mine. You would understand them so you could explain them to In-san. If the code was odd, people would accept it because you are a typed-seven genius."

It would be different; a challenge. It would mean he could do something in the gaps between the communications from Inryoku. "We would need Haru's cooperation and his permission for you to use your code within one of the simulators."

"I shall ask him," Sai replied and was gone.

Shikamaru sighed, pinged Haru and waited for the door between their rooms to open. As soon as they had checked he was alone, Sai's life-sized, three-dimensional image appeared, perched on the end of Haru's workbench.

"How much has Sai explained?" Shikamaru asked.

"He's going to teach us a whole new level of hacking," Haru replied, his eyes shining.

Shikamaru found himself smiling back. Yes, this was going to be fun.

* * *

...


	67. Thoughts

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, melissen, donalgraeme and LillyTigress for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: One sentence in this chapter has been edited so that it better conforms with the site guidelines.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**67: ****Thoughts**

* * *

The Elm had finished laying the minigate communication route three days ago and then headed home to Skyburrow. It was good to see Kakashi; corresponding by video was not the same.

Sasuke poured boiling water into the teapot and checked the tray: tea for him, Iruka and Naruto; coffee for Kakashi and Shikamaru. He turned around and leaned on the counter in the alcove, using the excuse of waiting for the tea to brew to observe the others.

Iruka could not keep his hands off Kakashi, which is not surprising given that Kakashi had been gone for over a div; Sasuke could not imagine being separated from Naruto for so long. At the moment they were sitting in adjacent chairs with their ankles touching and Iruka's hand resting on Kakashi's forearm.

"Nice picture," Kakashi observed, gesturing towards the portrait Konohamaru had taken. "How are they all?"

"Good." Naruto answered. "A little bored at the moment because the bulk of the Skyburrow project is over and the minky project is stalled."

"Minky project?" Kakashi queried.

"We want to use the minkies to develop safe havens on the planet," Naruto explained. "It would keep the minkies busy and produce something of value. Only we need the permission of the toad hybrid tribes."

"You don't need it," Kakashi pointed out.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "We don't want to proceed without it. Doing so will build up problems for the future. Kono-san has the full agreement of the Gama. Gama-sama is helping him persuade the other tribes."

"Maybe you could ask Hikaru-kun to tell you about progress with the Skyburrow project and Kuuya-kun to brief you about Operation Minky," Iruka suggested.

Kakashi nodded and Sasuke took advantage of the lull in the conversation to place the tray on the low table and take his seat next to Naruto.

"What about developments within the crew?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka reached for the teapot, making eye contact with Sasuke. Sasuke nodded, signalling his permission. Iruka then poured the tea and Sasuke the coffee.

"Putting all the youngsters together has been interesting," Iruka began. "It has certainly served its purpose of building relationships between the big litter and the other trainees. As we hoped, Five has realised that this is his chance to get to know the others. He has been careful not to dominate and, in return, they have accepted him."

"Leaders?" Kakashi asked.

"Five, Kuuya, Hoshi and, perhaps surprisingly, Hikaru," Sasuke replied. "I do not think that Hi-chan could lead a mission, not yet, but as a project leader he has been a revelation." He hesitated, but Kakashi was the only person in the room who did not know what he was considering. "Hoshi and Hikaru have suggested that I nominate Kuuya as heir."

Kakashi's expression was suspiciously blank.

"Obviously it is not just about who would be the best leader," Sasuke continued. "I have asked Shika-san to look into the potential ramifications." He decided to be brave. "Your thoughts, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Surprise," Kakashi admitted. "It would convince Izuna-sama that you are serious about treating the kits as you do your full-blood Uchiha offspring. It would remove the possibility that he could refuse to accept a challenge from one of them and that makes him challenging you less likely. It would give him ammunition to argue that he is a more suitable person than you to lead Uchiha. Overall, it would reduce the likelihood that he will challenge for the leadership and therefore, on balance, I would favour it."

Sasuke did not look towards Naruto; Naruto's opposition to the idea was about the consequences for Kuuya, not Uchiha.

"However," Kakashi concluded. "it will accelerate Izuna-sama moving to an alternative strategy."

"Which will be?" Iruka asked.

"Declaring himself Uchiha-sama and building an alternative Uchiha," Shikamaru answered. "Saying that Sasuke was never nominated as heir and never went through the proper steps to being installed as clan leader. Offering those who were sworn to the old Uchiha the opportunity to serve under him and declaring them traitors when they refuse."

"He would be taken seriously?" Iruka queried.

"He has two obvious allies," Kakashi replied. "Those who dislike new Uchiha's attitudes and, of more significance, those who fear or resent our recent success."

"He's meeting with key people from both those groups," Shikamaru confirmed. "Probably promising them future advantages if they support him. However, at the moment, it is still his second-choice strategy. He wants to challenge Sasuke for the leadership. He is utterly convinced he would win the combat."

"So we need to have a full on public relations campaign ready for when the big litter turns fourteen and he realises that his first choice strategy is hopeless," Iruka proposed.

It was an excellent point. "We will set up a group to start on that," Sasuke agreed. "Neji, Konohamaru, you Shika and me. Anyone else?"

"Asuma or Kakashi," Iruka supplied. "And Hoshi."

"Kuuya if you are serious about him being heir," Kakashi added. "Perhaps Five or Isaribi for some outside eyes. Not too many because we'll want a second group who can evaluate any proposals."

"Maybe Sasuke shouldn't be in the group." Naruto suggested. "And maybe not Shi-chan. At least not at first."

"Good idea," Kakashi confirmed. "Asuma, not me. I think we will get more interesting ideas that way. Ir-chan, who is the sneakiest of the youngsters?"

"Yuki," Iruka replied without hesitation.

"Put him on the list. Who have we got?"

"Neji, Konohamaru, Asuma, Hoshi, Kuuya, Isaribi or Five and Yuki," Sasuke recited. "It better be Isaribi," he concluded, putting a neat line through Five's name.

Kakashi smiled. "So how is Yuki's campaign to grab Five's attention going?"

"Successfully," Naruto answered before Sasuke could think of an appropriate reply. "I am proud of the way the youngsters are handling their interest in forming sexual liaisons without hurting each other."

Sasuke blinked at him. Naruto's blue eyes looked back at him, challenging him to argue. He tried a few responses out in his head but could not bring himself to say them, settling instead for a nod.

"I am sure Ir-chan will fill me in," Kakashi replied with a smile. "I understand that Akemi is making good progress and I have already heard about the baby."

"Aiko-chan," Iruka reminded him. "Rin and Dan have asked me and Kakashi to be her parents-in-reserve."

Sasuke thought that very suitable.

"And Neji?" Kakashi asked, looking to Shikamaru.

"He's still unhappy but at least he's functional," Shikamaru replied. "Working with Akemi has helped enormously."

The conversation moved through a few other topics and ended up on the stasis unit and the challenge of opening it.

"Remind me why we are going so carefully," Kakashi requested.

"If it blows up we may not be able to tell the difference between mindprinted clones and originals," Shikamaru replied. "Also, the more we study the unit, the better chance we have of finding any others."

Sasuke thought about what Pein had told him; that there was another member of the Akatsuki who spent long periods in stasis.

"If it blows up and there are Orochimaru's remains in it, it was a print," Kakashi insisted, "The man wants to live forever; he is not going to be in a stasis unit with a self-destruct mechanism."

It was a good point.

"Although it would have gone a lot faster if I were there..." Shikamaru pointed out.

Sasuke scowled at him.

"...Inryoku-san and I started investigating as soon as the minigated route was finished. We're using something new Haru and I have developed."

"New?" Kakashi queried.

"Novel code that processors and programmes will not recognise as code," Shikamaru explained. "We are attempting to run diagnostics of the stasis unit systems without being detected."

"Sounds useful," Kakashi agreed.

Finally coffee and tea cups were empty, Naruto had an appointment with Kiba and Shikamaru excused himself to check whether there was a communication from the Zetsus. Sasuke hesitated. He wanted to speak with Kakashi alone but he could wait; he did not want to interfere with Kakashi and Iruka's reunion.

Kakashi squeezed Iruka's hand. "Ir-chan, there are a few things I want to go over with Sasuke-sama."

Iruka smiled. "Of course. Come and find me when you are finished."

Sasuke considered offering saki but decided against it. Instead he poured himself more tea and coffee for Kakashi.

"What do you feel about Kuuya being made heir?" he asked.

Kakashi considered before replying. "Proud. It would be an embodiment of the principles of new Uchiha. Slightly sad at the thought of a future without dark-haired, dark-eyed full-blood Uchihas. Then I remember how some of those full-blood Uchihas abused their privileges. I understand that Naruto is against it."

Sasuke sighed. "He thinks that Kuuya will become the focus for anti-hybrid sentiment."

"That is likely," Kakashi admitted. "There will always be people who are determined to hate."

Unfortunately, it was true. Sasuke sipped his tea.

"How do you feel about Five and Yuki?" Kakashi asked.

"I hate it but I will have to get used to it," Sasuke admitted. "There is nothing wrong with Five. He is a suitable partner for Yu-chan."

There was a pause as Kakashi finished his coffee.

"Have they made their decisions?" he asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Haru and Kazuki are going to swear to me, the other eight to Uchiha."

Kakashi nodded. "Good. It shows that you and they are confident that Izuna-sama will not end up as clan leader. Was it Haru's idea not to swear to Uchiha?"

"No, it was his decision but Shika encouraged it."

"With your approval?"

"Yes."

"Is it to do with him being a typed-genius?"

"Not entirely."

"So there is another reason?"

"Yes, but I cannot tell you."

"Does Shikamaru know what it is?"

"No."

"Does Naruto?"

"Yes."

Kakashi smiled. "Interesting. Anything else worrying you?"

"Centre coming for Shika." Sasuke considered. "The fact we have left Tarrasade and Izuna is claiming it for his own." He thought deeper. "Maybe we should move the Hoshigakure children and foetuses."

"Where did that come from?" Kakashi asked.

"Thinking about Sumaru," Sasuke admitted. "If Izuna declares himself Uchiha-sama, the first step will be to tell Sumaru that his vow is invalid and ask him to swear to Izuna personally. Sumaru will refuse and Izuna will be looking for a new bodyguard. The Hoshigakure children are too young for that but they are a valuable resource that Izuna could exploit."

"You are sure Sumaru will refuse?" Kakashi queried.

Sasuke scowled at him.

"Just checking," Kakashi assured him. "Can we settle for increasing security for the Hoshigakure children and foetuses for now? You will be back in Tarrasade in five divs' time."

Would he? Sasuke doubted it would be that easy.

* * *

Shikamaru resisted the urge to chat to Naruto in the corridor outside Sasuke's office. If he lingered Iruka would catch him and start talking about Sumiko; her behaviour had not been at its best over the last few days.

Instead he sauntered at speed down the corridor and into his laboratory. As soon as the door was shut he checked the interface he had left running; there was a package from Inryoku.

A quick glance at the video had him pinging Haru and Sai.

The hack using the new code had worked. Shikamaru was stunned. Even after the promising test results, he had told himself it couldn't be this easy.

They had a complete diagnostic of the stasis unit system: hardware; software; systems; programmes; data. They even had physiological data on the occupant.

Occupants; there were two.

"Shall I generate the simulation?" Sai asked.

Shikamaru jumped. "Sai-kun," he hinted.

"I apologise for not greeting you, Shika-san."

"We really do need to work out the equivalent of footsteps or a door announcer or even an intercom click," Shikamaru observed.

"I shall come up with some alternatives to consider," Sai replied. "Shall I generate the simulation?"

The door to Haru's workroom slid open.

"We have the data we need," Shikamaru told him.

Haru smiled. "Great, has Sai generated the simulation yet?"

It was, as Naruto would have said, awesome. The detailed simulation would mean that Sai could try zillions of signals until he found ones to which the stasis unit would respond. If things continued to proceed as planned, they would be able to control the stasis unit's systems rather than breaking them.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru could not resist looking at the physiological data. One set was consistent with a purebred male of Kabuto's body type.

The other was consistent with Orochimaru.

He told himself one or both could be prints and went to report to Sasuke.

When the door opened he was surprised to see that Kakashi was still there. He checked his chronometer; it had been less than ten minutes.

"It worked," he announced. "We have a full diagnostic. Haru is working on the simulation now but we already know that there are two occupants."

Sasuke blinked at him.

"This new approach of yours is that good?" Kakashi queried. "Or was their security that poor?"

"Their security was fine," Shikamaru assured him. "It was like I said; our new code is so different that it is not recognised as code."

"So we wouldn't know if someone was doing the same to us?" Kakashi checked.

It was an interesting thought. "We would now but we wouldn't have before," Shikamaru replied. "However, I believe the approach is novel."

Kakashi studied him. "I would say that if you could think of it, so could others, but given that it is you and Haru working together that is probably not true."

Given that it was him, Haru and Sai, it was definitely true. "We make a good team," Shikamaru declared, wishing that he could openly acknowledge Sai's contribution.

Sasuke had pulled himself together. "What next?"

"We run the simulation until we work out the commands for the control systems," Shikamaru explained. "Then we decide what we want to do next. One option would be to transfer the occupants to pods, bring them here and go from there. Or we could bring in the whole stasis unit."

Kakashi stiffened; Shikamaru knew that he hated that idea because of the possibility, however, remote, that it was a bomb or a weapon.

"We will transfer them to pods," Sasuke directed. "As soon as you are convinced that it can be done safely," he added.

Kakashi stood up. "I should be going. Iruka is expecting me. We are going to have an early midmeal with Ran."

Should he leave with Kakashi? Shikamaru lurked, feeling awkward.

"Stay, Shika," Sasuke ordered. "I want to talk about this new tool of yours."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to object.

"Yours as in yours and Haru's," Sasuke clarified. "Sit down."

Talking to Kakashi always left Sasuke on edge; alert to every potential threat. Shikamaru waited.

"Are there other situations where it might be useful?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru's mind exploded with possibilities.

"Stay with me, Shika. What are its limitations?"

It helped. Shikamaru pushed away most of the trains of thought for later consideration. "There has to be a system to investigate. For example Izuna-sama does not trust computers. He only occasionally uses devices that contain processors." He considered. "We already choose not to hack many systems. This makes us better hackers but it does not change which systems we would choose to hack."

"Are there systems we would choose to hack?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru knew his answer to that: various databases held by Centre and the library on Jannine, although only the index was electronic. "Not as Uchiha, no."

Sasuke was frowning. "We couldn't use it to get Centre to forget they know about you?"

"No," Shikamaru replied immediately. "The whole point of the new code is that it totally invisible. It reads the system. No one can detect it. As soon as it alters something, it announces its presence. Once someone knows to look for it, there is a good chance they will find it. If someone else knows about it, it loses its effectiveness."

To Shikamaru's relief, Sasuke nodded. "Could we use it to find out if they believe you were a typed-seven? Or if they are planning to come and get you? Or if they suspect Haru is a typed genius?"

They had a name for the Centralite that Izuna had spoke with on the liner; Bettencourt. "I shall look into that possibility," he agreed.

Sasuke nodded and leaned back in his chair; apparently satisfied.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Shikamaru found himself sliding down the layers of his mind, pulled himself back to the surface and decided he should leave.

"What do I do with them once I have them?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

It took a split second for Shikamaru to realise he meant Kabuto and Orochimaru. "Check they aren't prints and then kill them?"

"Do we interrogate them?"

It was a good question. With Deidara, Sasuke had kept it simple. The elite fighters had brought him directly to Tarrasade. Sasuke had met them in the Killing Square and performed the execution.

"It's a vendetta," Shikamaru reminded him. "We have published all the evidence against the Akatsuki. Killing them is fine."

"Should we interrogate them?"

The top layer of Shikamaru's mind answered no but too many of those beneath yelled yes. "Perhaps," he admitted. "Only you have to consider what are you willing to give them in return for information? Or do to them if they refuse to give it?" Would Sasuke resort to torture? Shikamaru hoped not.

"Could you think about ways of tricking them into giving information?" Sasuke asked. "We have time. We can't return to Tarrasade until the big litter turns fourteen."

The question initiated another starburst of thoughts; some of them intersecting. He found himself thinking of people with a connection with Kabuto: Kiba; Konan; Inryoku and Enerugi; Kotohime; Sasori. Then there were the Akatsuki bases and ships they had taken. "May I speak to Neji about it?"

"Do that," Sasuke encouraged. "How are you and Neji doing?"

Shikamaru's mind was in analytical mode. Instead of the question skating over the surface it went deep, like the ones about using the new code and tricking Kabuto.

There was no stopping the generation of tens, maybe hundreds, of thoughts; many of them unwelcome.

"Shika?" Sasuke queried.

Shikamaru's mouth was dry. He felt slightly sick. "We're taking it day by day," he managed. He forced a smile. "Too many questions." He tapped his temple. "Feels like fireworks, three different concerts and a thunderstorm."

"Do you want some tea?" Sasuke asked.

"No. I would like go now."

Sasuke walked him to the door, obviously anxious. Shikamaru made sure he avoided seeming any more needy; otherwise Sasuke would turn him around, sit him down and summon Neji or Naruto.

It would probably be Naruto since he had stupidly allowed Sasuke to think that there was tension between him and Neji.

Which there was, but Shikamaru didn't want Sasuke thinking about it.

Once the door was shut he activated his throat mike. "Ha-chan? Sai-kun?" he subvocalised.

"Shika-san," Sai came back immediately. Haru was a few heartbeats behind. "Shi-chan?"

"Are you all right working on how to control the stasis unit? I have some things I need to see to."

"We are fine," Haru confirmed.

"It is going well, Shika-san," Sai added.

"Good," Shikamaru acknowledged.

Neji hadn't been in his office since a brief spell early that morning. Shikamaru pulled his schedule from some recess of his mind; domestic duties followed by a session on behavioural analysis with the youngsters and then training.

He checked his chronometer; Neji would be in the gym.

Watching Neji perform katas was always restful. Shikamaru hoped that he would continue as usual but he didn't; once he spotted Shikamaru he performed six iterations of each sequence rather than twelve.

"Shika," he acknowledged as soon as he had finished holding the final pose for the required time. He closed the distance between them. "What is wrong?"

"The usual," Shikamaru replied, pointing at his temple and rotating his finger to indicate the turmoil within.

Neji gave the smallest of smiles. "I could shower back in my room rather than here. You could join me."

"Thank you," Shikamaru admitted.

Part of him wished that they had risked using the shower attached to the gym. Walking to the crew room gave him time to feel guilty.

"I am glad you sought me out," Neji stated when they were about halfway there.

Shikamaru startled; for some reason he hadn't expected Neji to speak.

"Since Hinata left, what has been between us has been all about my needs," Neji pointed out.

It was good that he could use her name. Shikamaru reminded himself that Neji needed to be needed. If only he did not feel so bad about the constant flow of lies that were necessary to keep Sai's existence secret.

He had to say something. "There is something I cannot tell you," he admitted, "because anyone else knowing puts that person at risk and also increases the danger for us all."

"You would like to tell me but you are sure you should not," Neji checked.

"I want to tell you because it seems wrong to exclude you but I am certain that telling you is a really, really bad idea," Shikamaru explained.

Neji stopped, forcing Shikamaru to come to a halt beside him. He put out a hand and stroked Shikamaru's cheek. "I trust you. I accept that you have thought it through and that not telling me is the correct decision. I give you my permission to keep the secret and exclude me."

It worked: Shikamaru felt lighter; many of the knots in his mind loosened. "Thank you, Ne-chan."

He felt even better after a romp in the shower and another on Neji's bed in his ridiculously neat room.

"We've missed the midday meal," Neji pointed out.

Shikamaru snuggled closer. His thoughts were blissfully calm. The bedclothes were suitably rumpled. Neji smelled and felt great.

"Su-chan," Neji added.

Shikamaru sat bolt upright. He had promised Sumiko that they would eat together to make up for the fact that Sai had spent the morning working with him and Haru. He might have got away with it if he had thought of postponing in advance but missing a commitment without warning was a recipe for disaster. He sprang from the bed and started collecting his clothes.

"Head," Neji advised. "Maybe another shower. You'll need a plan or she'll get the upper hand."

She already had it; that was the problem. "I promised we'd share the midday meal," he admitted.

Even Neji flinched at that. "Sorry, Shika."

"Not your fault. I should have remembered."

He hurried to the playroom. Naruto was there with the triplets but no Sumiko.

"She's with Sasuke," Naruto told him.

Shikamaru panicked. What has she done? Why hadn't they used the intercom to call him? Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder. Why was he smiling when Su-chan had done something bad enough to justify Sasuke telling her off?

"Sasuke bailed you out," Naruto explained. "He told her that you had given him a message to give her. He spent the whole of the midday meal with her and now she's with him in his office."

It seemed like forever between him pushing the announcer and the door sliding open. Sasuke was sitting at his desk with Sumiko next to him.

"Nii-san!" she greeted him. She was all smiles. She held up something sparkly. "Look, isn't it pretty?"

Shikamaru moved closer. Sasuke was showing her the contents of the Uchiha ring box; it was a stroke of genius.

"Very pretty," he confirmed. "I am sorry I didn't make the midday meal, Su-chan."

"I have already forgiven you," Sumiko assured him. "Sasuke-sama explained that he had asked you to do so much thinking that you needed to untangle your thoughts or you would get a really bad headache." She looked anxious. "Is the headache bad?"

"No, I managed to untangle them before it got bad and now it's gone. Maybe we should go, Su-chan. Sasuke-sama has lots of work to do."

Sumiko studied the rings and frowned slightly.

"We can continue looking at them another time," Sasuke told her.

She smiled at him. "I would like that very much, Sasuke-sama. Thank you." She carefully replaced the diamond ring and closed the box.

"You are welcome, Sumiko-chan."

She slipped off her chair and skipped towards the door. Shikamaru took advantage of moving the chair back to its usual position at the side of the room to get close to Sasuke.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Sasuke's eyes were dancing with amusement. "You are also welcome, Shikamaru-san."

* * *

...


	68. Interrogation Part One

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme, LillyTigress, melissen and cynder81 for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: A few sentences in this chapter have been edited so that it better conforms with the site guidelines.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**68: Interrogation Part One**

* * *

It had taken over two divs but they were almost ready. Everyone and everything they needed was on the Elm. The next step was persuading Sasori to cooperate.

Convincing Sasuke that Shikamaru needed to see Sasori face-to-face had been difficult and nothing could persuade Kakashi to allow his ship into one of the Elm's docking bays.

In the end Shikamaru had given Sasori an impressive lump of credit and numerous assurances for a rendezvous in an ungated, obscure system. They had sent a shuttle to fetch him from his ship, which would remain at what Kakashi considered a safe distance.

Kakashi himself insisted on being present at the meeting, which was in the security suite.

Sasori looked older; he had obviously ceased the hormone arrest and allowed his body to complete adolescence.

"Shikamaru-san," he acknowledged.

"Sasori-san," Shikamaru responded. "This is Kakashi-san."

Kakashi deigned to offer the smallest of bows and Sasori responded in kind.

He and Sasori sat down but Kakashi insisted on standing behind Shikamaru's chair.

"We would like to employ you, Sasori-san," Shikamaru began.

Sasori studied him. "I have retired, Shikamaru-san."

"Not as an assassin. Not even as a spy, although a certain amount of subterfuge would be required."

"There is nothing you could offer me that I require," Sasori replied. "The credit you paid me to attend this meeting will meet my needs for many standards."

"We could refrain from giving you over to Gaara-san," Kakashi pointed out.

Shikamaru sighed. "Please, Kakashi-san."

Sasori seemed unfazed. "The wonderful thing about the new Uchiha is that Sasuke Uchiha is an honourable man. I have his personal assurance that I am safe and that Gaara-san will not be informed of my whereabouts."

"I have something to offer that I believe you will want," Shikamaru told him.

Sasori hesitated and then nodded.

"All I have on re-establishing memory in those whose capacity to remember has been compromised. Everything Klennethon Darrent had. Everything Centre has. Plus the means to implement any treatments you decide upon."

Hope burned momentarily in Sasori's eyes before being extinguished by cynicism. "That could be nothing."

"Yes, but it is not," Shikamaru assured him. He pushed a tablet across the low table between them. "A sample."

Sasori reached for the tablet and studied the contents. They waited. He finished reading and placed the tablet back on the table.

"It could be lies," he pointed out.

"You can trust me, Sasori-san," Shikamaru reminded him.

Sasori's lips quirked in a brief smile. "You almost threw me down a pit."

"You attacked me from behind," Shikamaru countered.

"How is Haru-chan?"

"Well."

"And the individuals you took from the ship?"

"The foetuses that were young enough to be unaffected by the sensory deprivation have been adopted."

"What about the child? The original Ranmaru?"

Shikamaru looked up at Kakashi.

"He is my son," Kakashi replied. "We are very proud of him."

Sasori considered before giving his answer. "What do you wish me to do?"

They held the first briefing the next day. Shikamaru studied each person in turn. Kiba was obviously uncomfortable. Enerugi was intrigued. Inryoku was far away in his thoughts. Kotohime looked eager. Konan was regarding Sasori with something Shikamaru suspected was hatred. Neji had no expression at all. Sasuke was irritated; Shikamaru could tell from the way his nostrils kept flaring.

Naruto, like Kakashi, had refused to sit down; they both kept their eyes trained on Sasori.

Sasori seemed impervious to the hostility around him. "It is good to see you again, Konan-san."

Konan did not reply.

Sasuke welcomed everyone and thanked them for agreeing to participate before explaining the purpose of the meeting.

"We have a Kabuto and an Orochimaru. They were in stasis when we found them and are still unconscious. Scans and other tests suggest that they are originals but we have not excluded the possibility that they are clones without mindnets.

"Firstly we need to confirm that they are the originals. Secondly, I understand that there was another founding member of the Akatsuki. An individual who, like Orochimaru, has spent hundreds of standards in stasis. We wish to know the identity of this individual.

"Shikamaru-san has suggested unpodding them into an illusion in which their reactions may give us the information we need." He nodded to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru took a deep breath. "I have arranged use of the ship that Sasori and I stole from Pein. The scenario we are intending to use is that the stasis unit malfunctioned and sent out a signal requesting pick-up. As none of the designated ships responded the signal was relayed to other Akatsuki craft and finally to that ship.

"We hope this will be believable enough to convince at least Kabuto. Sasori-san will bring him out of stasis and play Sasori-type mind games with him in the hope of extracting useful information. We will monitor all conversations from the Elm.

"Next steps will depend on the way in which Kabuto reacts. Any comments?"

There was a silence that Konan broke.

"Kabuto is obsessed by Orochimaru. Part of that obsession is a pathological level of loyalty. He knows that nothing he could do would stop Uchiha killing Orochimaru, but Sasori is another matter. It is a clever plan, Shikamaru-san."

Inryoku raised his hand. "Orochimaru is unlikely to believe that a signal from the stasis unit would ever be relayed to Pein's ship. Kabuto might but I recommend that Sasori avoid going into any detail."

"He is unlikely to remember Sasori," Konan reminded them. "We..." She gestured to include most of those around the table. "...interacted with the Orochimaru print who died on Jewel and then with the reprint that received those memories. We know that upload from the reprint was late and that the memories had begun to deteriorate. Given that the uploader was on the ship that Sasori stole, it is possible that no upload occurred."

"Are the uploader and the mindprinter still on the ship?" Kotohime asked.

"The crucial parts are missing," Shikamaru confirmed.

"If necessary, I will say that I sold them," Sasori declared. "Along with all the clones."

"Orochimaru might just kill you and take the ship," Kiba warned.

Sasori shrugged. "I may have retired but I still have my skills."

"We have knock out gas canisters installed," Shikamaru assured them. "Along with the cameras and the microphones." He did not mention that any attempt to take control of the ship would fail.

Another day and they were ready. The Elm was in the Skyburrow system, close to one of the suboptimal holes. On the other side of the hole was Pein's ship. A minigate ensured real-time communication with a barely perceptible delay.

Shikamaru had set up one of the meeting rooms for the observers. There were seventy-two camera and microphone assemblies on the Akatsuki ship. The output of each was processed and stored locally. They had capacity for thirty real-time feeds to the Elm, each of which fed into one of the bank of small displays that formed part of a workstation in one corner of the room.

Any of the feeds could be sent to one of the five main projectors. If a feed was being projected, the associated audio was available as a choice via observers' earpieces.

This first time Shikamaru was at the workstation and Neji had the only direct link to Sasori's earpiece. Those who had known Kabuto was present: Kiba, Kotohime, Konan, Inryoku and Enerugi. Kakashi lurked at the back; Shikamaru suspected that he was more interested in the observers than the observed.

One of the feeds showed a side ward in the infirmary with Kabuto unconscious on a treatment bed. Shikamaru displayed it on the main projector.

It looked like he was naked under the thin cover, which was not as Neji had instructed. The sleep clothes were folded neatly on a small table some way from the bed.

They watched as the door to the room opened and Sasori entered. He was formally dressed in jacket and boots; a sure sign that he was fully armed.

It would also give him a psychological advantage, given that Kabuto was naked.

"Administer the wake-up shot, withdraw and lock the door," Neji directed.

"_Less talking,"_ Sasori replied. _"It's distracting."_

Perhaps only Shikamaru could have detected Neji's frown of annoyance, but it was definitely there.

Sasori pressed the hypospray to Kabuto's neck and then retired to a chair close to the doorway. After some time Kabuto sat up.

He focused on Sasori, looked around the room and then studied his hands. Shikamaru imagined him trying to work out how long he had been podded.

It would not be obvious; they had washed his body and trimmed his hair and nails.

"_Where is Orochimaru-sama?"_ he demanded.

"_You expected him to be with you?"_ Sasori asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kabuto slumped slightly.

"He is ready to believe that Orochimaru was not with him," Neji observed. "Interesting."

Shikamaru noted that Neji had already given up on Sasori following the script they had discussed.

Wrapping the thin cover around him, Kabuto swung his legs around so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Shikamaru did not miss the way Sasori leered; he might as well as said that he had already seen what Kabuto had to offer.

Kabuto flushed slightly. _"How did I get here?"_

"_A signal came through on one of the Akatsuki channels. I decided to follow it up and found a stasis unit. You were in it."_

"_Hidden?"_

"_No, just dumped in a shipping lane."_

Kabuto was too still; the word 'dumped' had obviously hit a nerve. _"This is Pein's ship? The one you stole?"_

Sasori nodded. _"There aren't many Akatsuki ships left. Perhaps none. Uchiha leaves this ship alone."_

"_You were excluded from the vendetta. You betrayed us,"_ Kabuto accused.

Sasori stood up, walked over to the table, picked up the clothes and threw them onto the bed.

"_Don't blame me. Pein just had to have the typed-seven. Orochimaru just had to have a Bara hybrid. The Akatsuki and Uchiha had co-existed for centuries and could have for centuries more."_

Kabuto did not take the bait but perhaps a seed had been planted. On the other hand, it was possible that Kabuto knew nothing about the founding of the Akatsuki.

"_Get some sleep,"_ Sasori ordered. _"Once you are rested we will talk again."_

He left, locking the door behind him. They watched as Kabuto dressed in the sleep clothes, curled up on the bed and pulled the cover over him.

"Very clever," Kotohime observed. "He is already convinced that Orochimaru abandoned him. It will make him vulnerable to a predator like Sasori."

"Sasori cannot be trusted," Konan pointed out. "He is already ignoring Neji-san's instructions."

Shikamaru had no intention of trusting him.

"We have nothing to lose," Neji replied. "I think we already have enough information to confirm that this is the original Kabuto." He paused and then continued. "Sasori's approach may have more chance of success than what we have planned."

"What do you think he is going to do?" Kiba asked.

"It's obvious," Kotohime answered. "Sasori's going to seduce him and then tell him that Orochimaru was with him." She smiled. "This is going to be such fun."

Shikamaru told himself he should not feel guilty. Most of their problems had started when Kabuto had taken advantage of their hospitality to steal the tissue bank.

Without Kabuto's raid there would be no kits, no Kiba and no Ryuu; probably no kidnapping, no bombing and no Su-chan in his life. Would Sai even exist?

He recognised the signs and forced himself to stop; hindsight had never been kind to him.

Kotohime left the room with Inryoku and Enerugi; Kakashi followed. Kiba was watching Kabuto sleep. Shikamaru checked the feeds. Sasori was in what had been Konan's cabin. Watching for a few minutes confirmed that he was planning a seduction.

At least Shikamaru hoped that was what it was; seduction implied at least some measure of consent.

His eyes went to Konan. How would she react? She and Pein could have shared that bed.

He set the alarm in his wrist chronometer to sound if Sasori unlocked Kabuto's door and went over to speak with her.

"It was really good of you to come," he began.

She studied him. "What is worrying you, Shika-san?"

Her question caught Neji's attention.

Shikamaru went for the direct approach. "It was thoughtless of me not to remember that you used to travel on that ship."

She knew immediately. "He's using my cabin."

"Yes," Shikamaru admitted.

Konan sighed. "Like most spacers, I always kept the things that truly mattered with me. Even so, I would prefer not to observe."

"We will understand if you do not wish to contribute further," Neji assured her. "Please do not think that your journey from Tarrasade has been wasted. Your insights have been extremely helpful."

"I am happy to be consulted about specifics," she assured him. "As for coming here, Nagato-chan is thoroughly enjoying his visit with Tsuneo-chan. It was also good to speak with Sasuke-sama face-to-face."

Shikamaru knew that Sasuke had told her about Pein's last moments.

"It will be good when we all can be together again," Konan added.

"You, Hana-san and Nagato-chan could stay in Skyburrow," Shikamaru suggested.

"No. It would be unfair to Haku-san," Konan replied. "We help each other with the children and I assist him in his task of not completely alienating Izuna-sama." She stood up. "I must go now. Naruto-san himself is piloting the shuttle that will take me back to Skyburrow.

Shikamaru perked up. "Na-chan is here?"

Naruto was in the galley talking to Iruka, who had chosen to be on the Elm with Kakashi.

"You didn't tell me you were going to be here," Shikamaru accused, sitting down next to him.

"I thought you would be busy with this being the first day. How is it going?"

"Sasori's enjoying doing exactly what he had planned, which proves to be completely different to what Neji told him to do."

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "Will it work?"

"Maybe. It looks like Kabuto is the genuine article, which is a good start." He grimaced. "It could take a long time."

"More than a div?"

Shikamaru had been thinking in terms of days rather than divs. "No," he admitted.

Iruka poured him a cup of tea and refreshed Naruto's. "Shika-kun is thinking that he has not warned Sumiko-chan and Haru-kun that he will be away for so long."

Naruto smiled. "We're only a shuttle trip away. They can visit you. Perhaps you can visit them. Do you have to watch live?"

"Probably not. Not while it is just Sasori and Kabuto."

"Then you and Neji should work out a rota," Iruka advised. "Perhaps you could manage to speak to Sumiko-chan once or twice a day."

So started one of the more bizarre phases of Shikamaru's life. He was used to having many different places in his head, but not having to switch between so many different roles within each day.

He was accustomed to his complex virtual life. He was the Wizard of the data streams, monitoring flow around known space and tapping into new sources using the new Sai-type code. He was Chaaruzu-san, directing his Tennyos. He was currently thirty-four different virtual people playing key roles in a variety of organisations. Two hundred and seventy-three other virtual identities were ticking over; active enough to be brought seamlessly into play.

It was the complexity of his day-to-day life on the Elm that was new. He was the voyeur observing Sasori convince Kabuto that Orochimaru had abandoned him and catching him on the rebound. He was the person Kakashi held responsible for 'this farce'. He was Sumiko's Nii-san, tied to an afternoon update on her daily life and an evening story shared with Sai. He was Neji's lover, exploring their new relationship whilst away from Su-chan's disapproval. He was Haru's Shi-chan, Na-chan's best friend, Iruka's Shika-kun, and Sasuke's advisor. He was Sai's... ...something; Shikamaru was not sure what. Crewmate? Friend? Brother? Parent?

Then there were Kotohime.

Kotohime was enjoying herself. She was delighted with Isaribi's progress. She relished watching Sasori manipulate Kabuto. She teased Neji and deliberately irritated Kakashi.

She liked Shikamaru. As well as imitating conversations, which he had to admit were often exhilarating, she had made it blatantly clear that she was interested in fucking him.

Shikamaru had no intention of fucking her. She was attractive but she wasn't crew and he had Neji. Also, he couldn't forget just how big and scary Han was.

Neji responded by wanting to assert his prior claim but holding back because he felt he had no right to do so, which Shikamaru found rather endearing.

It was a day much like the seven that had gone before. Shikamaru dragged himself out of what was technically Neji's bed, through the shower, into clothes and to the galley. There Iruka forced him to converse, hinted that Kakashi was in a foul mood, reminded him that Naruto was coming over for a visit, gave him an summary of Kiba's latest report on Sumiko's behaviour and allowed him one cup of coffee provided he ate.

Kotohime was waiting for him in the meeting room, which was new; like him, Kotohime was not a morning person.

"Good morning, Shikamaru-san," she announced brightly.

"Kotohime-san," he acknowledged.

"I brought us some coffee," she told him, gesturing towards a flask and two cups. She opened the flask and poured the thick, fragrant liquid.

It smelled fantastic; ten times better than the brew Iruka had made.

"It is a weakness of mine," she confessed. "There is supplier in Haven who takes advantage of me. He knows I will pay far too much for the best beans roasted just right."

"Thank you." He took a sip; it tasted amazing.

"I thought that I could help you look through yesterday's recordings," she suggested.

Shikamaru knew why she was offering. Sasori had Kabuto convinced that Orochimaru had abandoned him and would be in stasis for a least a decade, probably considerably longer. It had left Kabuto hurt and vulnerable, susceptible to Sasori's arsenal. Each day they had edged closer to Sasori risking a pass.

"A small bag of those coffee beans on Sasori fucking him last night," Kotohime proposed.

"And if I lost?" Shikamaru asked.

Kotohime leered at him. "A grope of your delectable butt?"

Shikamaru found himself sympathising with Kabuto; Kotohime might not be as subtle as Sasori but she was equally determined. "The odds would be against me, Kotohime-san." He took another sip of the coffee and then powered up the interface and displays. "We are only interested in information, Kotohime-san, so only recordings where Kabuto speaks trigger the selection programme."

She pulled up a chair. "I'm sure there'll be pillow talk."

Unfortunately Kabuto made a lot of noise when he was being fucked. Shikamaru found himself wondering if he was the same with Orochimaru or whether it was because Sasori was surprisingly aggressive.

"He's marking him in places that Orochimaru cannot possibly fail to miss," Kotohime pointed out. "I wonder if Sasori will tell him or let Orochimaru walk in on him," she mused.

It turned out to be the former. Sasori waited until Kabuto was just beginning to think about what he had done.

Sasori left the bed and pulled on some clothes. Kabuto watched him owlishly; Shikamaru wondered how much he could see without his eyeglasses.

"_That was every bit as good as I thought it would be,"_ Sasori assured him. _"I understand what Orochimaru sees in you."_

Kabuto blinked at him. Shikamaru wondered if he was alerted by Sasori suddenly referring to Orochimaru in the present tense.

"_I lied," _Sasori continued, heading towards the door. _"He was with you in the stasis unit. He did keep his promise to take you with him."_

There was a split moment before it sank in. Sasori hovered close to the door, ready to beat a hasty retreat.

"_He's here? On this ship?"_ Kabuto asked.

"_Maybe,"_ Sasori replied. _"Or maybe I already gave him to Uchiha. It's quite a bounty they are offering. Or maybe I'm still making my mind up."_

To Shikamaru's surprise Kabuto smiled. _"Thank you for picking us up. Why don't you come back to bed so I can thank you again properly?"_

Sasori pretended to be considering Kabuto's offer and then shook his head. _"No, because you'll kill me so you can search the ship."_

Kabuto's smile vanished. _"You two-faced, lying, self-serving louse."_

"_And there I was thinking you rather liked me. All those pretty noises you were making."_

Kabuto surged from the bed but Sasori was through the door and had it locked before he could make it across the room.

Shikamaru watched, his gut twisting, as Kabuto sunk to the floor and started to cry. Was this really less reprehensible than torture?

* * *

...


	69. Interrogation Part Two

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, Drago Imperiali, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, LillyTigress, cynder81, donalgraeme, melissen and Codydog for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**69: Interrogation Part Two**

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Shikamaru watched, his gut twisting, as Kabuto sunk to the floor and started to cry. Was this really less reprehensible than torture?

"That was extremely satisfying," Kotohime stated from beside him.

He closed the video and checked the analysis programme. There were no more events during which Kabuto spoke, which was not surprising as the last scene had been recorded in the middle of ship's night.

"What do you think Sasori will do next?" Kotohime asked.

He resisted the urge to shrug.

"What's happened?" Kakashi asked from the doorway.

Neji was with him."Kotohime-san," he acknowledged, walked over and kissed Shikamaru on the cheek.

She scowled at him. "Neji-san."

"Sasori made a move on Kabuto, it was successful and then he told him that Orochimaru had been in the stasis unit with him," Shikamaru summarised.

Kakashi nodded and sat down.

"Make my day. Tell me Kabuto killed him, or at least cut his balls off."

"No, Sasori was too quick," Shikamaru replied.

"Get him on a live link," Kakashi instructed.

Given that Sasori had been fucking Kabuto for most of the night, Shikamaru guessed he was still asleep.

"Do it, Shikamaru," Kakashi insisted, which earned him a slight frown from Neji.

Sasori replied immediately over an audio link.

"Shikamaru-san," he acknowledged.

"We would like a live meeting with visual," Shikamaru told him.

"_It isn't very convenient at the moment,"_ Sasori answered.

Kakashi was pointing at a microphone; Shikamaru reluctantly activated it.

"This is Kakashi. Get yourself in front of a camera," Kakashi ordered. "My patience is wearing thin." He deactivated the microphone and turned to Kotohime. "I am afraid I must ask you to leave, Kotohime-san. We will be discussing Uchiha business. Iruka-san is in the galley and will be happy to provide you with some breakfast. He was wondering if you would like to spend today in Skyburrow visiting Isaribi-kun."

Kotohime stood up, topped up Shikamaru's cup from her flask and smiled at him.

"I understand. Later, Shikamaru-san."

"Kotohime-san," he acknowledged. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You encourage her," Kakashi complained as soon as the door shut with Kotohime on the other side of it.

"Shika does not encourage Kotohime-san's sexual advances," Neji stated.

The last thing Shikamaru needed was Neji and Kakashi locking horns. Luckily, he was saved by Sasori.

"_This is Sasori. I'm in the control room."_

Shikamaru activated the camera at both ends. Sasori was in the captain's chair. He was shirtless with wet hair and a towel around his neck.

Kakashi did not bother with niceties. "You've had your fun. What next?"

"_I intend to threaten him. One threat is that I will give Orochimaru to Uchiha. The other is that I will tell Orochimaru that he allowed me to fuck him. I intend to extract as much information as possible. Once we agree we have everything available, we can move onto Orochimaru._

"_I propose telling Kabuto that I will sell Orochimaru to Uchiha unless he tells me the identity of the other founding member of the Akatsuki from Orochimaru. I will explain to Kabuto that I can sell this information to Uchiha for even more than the bounty for him and Orochimaru. I believe that he will try to persuade Orochimaru to reveal the information you require."_

To Shikamaru it seemed a sound plan and it made sense of the effort Sasori had invested in seducing Kabuto.

Even Kakashi appeared mollified. "It may work," he conceded. "How are you going to stop Kabuto from killing you?"

"_Mainly by keeping him away from any poisons or weapons. He's not much of a hand-to-hand fighter."_

"Sasori-san, we wish to be observing live when you tell him of these threats," Neji stated.

"Any chance of fixing a time?" Shikamaru added, thinking of his numerous commitments.

"_For you, Shikamaru-san,"_ Sasori agreed, bowing. _"Ship's noon."_

That would give Kabuto and Sasori time to rest. Shikamaru glanced at the others; neither of them was objecting. "Ship's noon it is, Sasori-san."

He left Neji and Kakashi searching the recordings for what particularly interested them and went to back to the crew room; by now Iruka would know whether there was a shuttle due and who would be piloting it.

It turned out that Kotohime had concurred with Iruka's suggestion that she spend some time with Isaribi. Kazuki had agreed to pilot the morning shuttle and he was going to drop off Haru and Ran. Later in the day, Naruto would bringing Kotohime back and take Haru and Ran home.

Shikamaru was glad that Ran was coming; Iruka would appreciate a visit and he could keep Haru company while they were watching Sasori bully Kabuto.

Ran spent the balance of the morning with Iruka while he, Haru and Sai enjoyed each other's company and discussed their various projects.

Not that Sai was physically there because Sumiko had insisted he stay with her. Having Sai at the other end of a secure two-way link was fine; Sai compensated for the lag by reducing the time he allowed for them to think and speak.

All too soon noon was approaching.

"I'll have to go," Shikamaru admitted. "I have a meeting."

"About the interrogation," Haru suggested.

"Yes," Shikamaru confirmed. "I don't want to talk about it with you, Ha-chan."

"That bad?" Haru asked.

Shikamaru was about to say no but found he couldn't. "In a way," he admitted. "I don't think there is a good way of getting someone to tell you something they don't want to."

When he arrived at the meeting room he found Kakashi and Neji watching Sasori manhandle an unconscious Kabuto from the bed to a chair and restrain him.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked, partly horrified and partly grateful that Kabuto wasn't naked and trussed; he wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that Sasori was an expert in kinbaku.

"Just a precaution," Kakashi assured him. "Knockout gas."

Sasori placed a hypospray on a small table and placed a second chair a safe distance from his prisoner.

"_You there. Shikamaru-san?"_ he queried.

"Yes, I am here."

"_Good. It would not be the same without you. Please remind Neji-san that talking to me while I am this close to Kabuto is unwise."_

Shikamaru looked to Neji who nodded. "He will not speak with you unless there is an acute need. If we are going to speak with you we will warn you with two taps." He demonstrated by touching the microphone.

"_Fair enough,"_ Sasori agreed.

He pressed the hypospray to Kabuto's neck and then settled into his chair, ready to speak as soon as Kabuto regained consciousness.

"_I apologise for rendering you unconscious and then restraining you. It is important that you listen to what I have to say."_

Kabuto raised his head slightly but said nothing.

"_I am a mercenary. You know this. Uchiha is offering a bounty for you and a bounty for Orochimaru."_

"_If you were only interested in the bounty, you would not have bothered to wake me,"_ Kabuto replied.

Sasori smiled. _"You're a good fuck."_

"_This time,"_ Kabuto clarified. _"You would not have bothered to wake me this time."_

"_True," _Sasori conceded. _"The problem with handing you over to Uchiha is that it is a once-only deal. A bit like eating the chicken that gives you eggs, or the cow that gives you milk. Perhaps you do not follow. You were a city boy."_

"_I understand well enough,"_ Kabuto replied._ "What are you proposing?"_

"_A deal. Orochimaru will not deal but you are less proud and less arrogant. You give me information I can sell to Uchiha. In return, I do not hand the two of you over. Instead, we consider joint ventures, for example, me taking Pein's place and keeping the organisation ticking over while you and Orochimaru go into stasis."_

It was a clever twist; Shikamaru was impressed.

"_Surely taking Pein's place is enough,"_ Kabuto proposed.

"_No. That is a long term strategy. In the short term I need credit and I need to deflect Uchiha's attention. Both can be achieved by selling them high-grade information."_

Kabuto licked his lips. _"If I could provide you with enough information, it might not be necessary to wake Orochimaru-sama. He could be returned directly to stasis."_

Sasori considered. _"Shall we say that you can tell me everything that you believe could be useful and I will agree not to wake Orochimaru until after there is no sign of our pleasurable night together on your body?"_

Kabuto froze. Shikamaru could see him imagining Orochimaru's reaction.

"_Shall we begin, Kabuto-san?"_

The scheduled time for the midday meal arrived; Ran brought a basket of food and stayed to make tea. Neji asked him if he would like to observe but he said that he was eating with Haru and Iruka.

Most of what Kabuto said only confirmed what Shikamaru knew already. Occasionally there were additional facts: some previously unnamed contacts; a safe house; useful information about hybrid engineers beyond what Kotohime had told them.

He said that Kimimaro was alive, which was weird because Shikamaru thought they had confirmed that Gaara had killed him.

"_This is too low-level,"_ Sasori complained when Kabuto paused. _"What about something useful, like the source of the information leak within the Uchiha household?"_

Shikamaru looked to Neji in surprise. Neji looked back, equally unprepared. At no time had either of them mentioned the leak to Sasori.

It was not somewhere they would have gone without Sasuke's permission.

Neji signalled for Shikamaru to activate his microphone only to have Kakashi stop him.

"No, don't. I want to hear what he says."

"_I don't know,"_ Kabuto admitted.

"I do not think he does," Neji confirmed.

Sasori sighed. _"The problem is that you do know very little. I am beginning regret to our agreement. Perhaps I should wake Orochimaru now."_

"_He or she had a way of getting physical messages out of the household to our contact," _Kabuto added hastily.

"_The way? The contact?" _Sasori demanded.

"_I don't know now other than that it was physical; some way of passing written notes. The contact was the journalist, Karin."_

It was interesting but not unexpected; there had been no sigh of Karin in Tarrasade since the vendetta had been announced.

If it was Izuna, as they suspected, when had he made contact with Orochimaru? Shikamaru's mind immediately threw up numerous opportunities. There had been all those social occasions, interviews and visits to the Hunundau store. Presumably one of Orochimaru's contacts had approached him.

Sasori was continuing.

"_That is a little better; medium-grade. The name of the traitor would have been high-grade. Worth enough to consider forgoing the bounty. Could you get Orochimaru to tell you the name of the traitor?"_

"_Maybe," _Kabuto replied.

Shikamaru understood now why Sasori was asking about the leak. He had not expected Kabuto to know but it allowed him to introduce the idea of Kabuto extracting information from Orochimaru.

"_Are you willing to try?"_ Sasori asked.

There was a pause. Shikamaru could imagine Kabuto realising that the only possible answer was yes, whether he meant it or not. To refuse would mean being packed up and given, along with Orochimaru, to Uchiha.

Unfortunately for Kabuto, the worst had already happened.

"_Yes,"_ he replied. _"What else do you consider 'high-grade'?"_

Sasori considered. _"Pein told me once that Orochimaru did not found the Akatsuki alone. There was another. Pein thought he was still alive, also using stasis to skip forward through time."_

Kabuto frowned.

"He has never heard anything about it," Neji confirmed. "He is upset that Orochimaru trusted Pein more than him."

"_I believe that Uchiha would pay well for details of this person," _Sasori pushed.

"_The name of the traitor. Details of this possible co-founder of the Akatsuki. This would be enough." _Kabuto checked.

"_That would be enough,"_ Sasori lied. He held up a hypospray. _"Sleepdrug. I'll untie you and put you on the bed."_

"_You could just untie me,"_ Kabuto suggested.

Sasori shook his head. _"Not this time."_

They watched as Kabuto lost consciousness. Interestingly, Sasori left him tied to the chair and left the room.

"He agreed too easily," Neji pointed out.

"On balance, having Orochimaru conscious is better for him," Kakashi pointed out. "It makes it two to one and everything we know about Orochimaru suggests he is a much more dangerous opponent than Kabuto."

"He's a killer," Shikamaru stated. That was what Na-chan said; Orochimaru was a killer, like Izuna, while Sasuke was not.

"What is he up to?" Neji murmured.

Shikamaru looked at the display. Sasori had reappeared with a trolley.

Neji signalled at him to activate his microphone.

"This is Neji. May I ask what you are doing, Sasori-san?"

"_Tanking him," _Sasori replied._ "I told him that I wouldn't wake Orochimaru before all the marks I made had gone. This way I can speed the process up. I intend to have Orochimaru wake him."_

Kakashi pointed at his microphone and Shikamaru activated it.

"This is Kakashi. Your work with Kabuto was impressive."

Sasori had finished untying Kabuto and was lifting him onto the trolley with surprising ease. _"Thank you for saying so, Kakashi-san."_

"I assume you have a video of yourself with Kabuto to show Orochimaru if you decide that would be useful."

"_Of course. I decided to make my own, in case Shikamaru-san should get cold feet about me using his."_

Shikamaru knew that was not the case. Sasori would make his own because there were significant differences between a video made using a carefully installed clandestine surveillance system and one made using a standard video camera hidden somewhere convenient.

"_Was it you who found him, Kakashi-san?" _Sasori asked.

Found who? Orochimaru? Kabuto?

"Yes," Kakashi replied.

"_I salute you. You must be immensely proud of that achievement."_

"I only suspected that he was an undetected typed-genius, perhaps a typed-seven," Kakashi admitted. "I had no idea what a typed-seven could do."

Shikamaru flushed, realising they were talking about him.

"_Who does, Kakashi-san? If there are any other sane ones, Centre has them."_

Shikamaru activated his microphone. "Or they have more sense than I do and stay invisible."

"_You are invisible, Shikamaru-san. What we see is merely glimpses wrapped in illusions; the occasional flash of glorious colours that hint at the quality and sheer magnificence of the star diamond that shall always remain out of view."_

"If you are trying to embarrass him you are being successful, Sasori-san," Neji told him.

"_Which is wonderful in itself, Neji-san. Please excuse me. I have Kabuto to tank and preparations to make before unpodding Orochimaru."_

There was a faint click as Sasori's microphone was switched off and they watched him push the trolley from the room.

"Maybe he is not so bad," Kakashi admitted grudgingly.

"He is," Neji disagreed. "Consider how quickly he found one of your weak points and look advantage of it, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi looked startled and then scowled. "Sneaky runt. Clever though."

"We didn't check with him when he was planning to unpod Orochimaru," Shikamaru pointed out; keen to change the subject. "I'll set an alarm to tell us if he accesses the control panel."

They were reasonably confident that Kabuto would need a day in the tank and that Sasori intended him to be out of it before unpodding Orochimaru.

Shikamaru considered the new information that Kabuto had revealed and decided that none of it required urgent attention. Instead he went to find Haru, hoping that Kotohime had not decided to return early.

She had but Naruto had waited in the hope that Shikamaru would become available. He was with Iruka, Haru and Ran in the galley. Shikamaru sat down and Ran got up to make a fresh pot of tea.

"How did it go?" Haru asked.

Shikamaru did not want to talk about it in front of Haru. "Fine. Nothing dramatic." He looked to Naruto. "Do you have to go soon?"

Naruto studied him. "No, we can stay for the evening meal as long as Iruka-sensei can feed an extra three people."

"What about the triplets?" Shikamaru asked.

"Sasuke will see to them," Naruto assured him. "They will be fine." He turned to Haru. "Ha-chan, would you mind if I spent some time with Shi-chan?"

Haru smiled. "No. We had time together this morning. Ran and I will..."

"Do some chores for Ir-chan," Ran supplied.

His smile slipped but then Haru rallied. "Yes, we are going to help Iruka-sensei."

Iruka smiled. "That is very kind of the two of you. Help with making the meal would be greatly appreciated."

Haru looked relieved; Shikamaru knew that he had been thinking it would be cleaning or laundry, neither of which he enjoyed.

They went to Shikamaru's room, which was much messier now that he did not share it with Neji. Naruto sniffed the air.

"Neji does not sleep here?" he queried.

Shikamaru moved some stuff so that they could sit down. "Does it look like it? No, we use his room."

Naruto's whiskers and eyebrows arched in surprise. "He puts up with you messing up his room?"

"Yes. I think it's part of the penance he is imposing on himself. Like not acting too possessively when Kotohime flirts with me and offering to let me fuck him even though we both know it works better the other way around."

"He should feel guilty. He left you for someone else."

"I released him, Na-chan. The only reason I wish I hadn't is that he got hurt."

"No rings this time," Naruto observed.

"Not yet," Shikamaru confirmed. "Maybe never. We exchanged rings the first time because I pressured him into doing so. I don't need that now."

"I don't understand," Naruto admitted.

"I know. It's at odds with your nature. Try to accept that we are different."

Naruto studied him for a moment and then nodded. "I shall try," he promised. "Ha-chan says that you are upset about the interrogation."

Shikamaru sighed. "I thought there was a difference between physical torture and playing mind games, but I'm no longer sure there is. We've employed Sasori to lie for us. How is that different from us lying?"

"Very different," Naruto insisted. "Kabuto knows Sasori will say anything to get what he wants."

"He's using Kabuto's hope, Na-chan, and the truth is that there isn't any. There is nothing Kabuto can do to change the fact that Sasuke's going to cut his throat and Orochimaru's in the killing square."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Naruto spoke.

"You sure it is the genuine Kabuto?"

"Yes."

"You certain about the Orochimaru yet?"

"No, but it's looking more and more likely."

"You have to let it go on until you are sure of that. We have to know if we have the original."

Shikamaru felt himself settle. Naruto was right. It was about confirming Orochimaru's identity; the information was of secondary importance. They were already close to certain that Izuna was responsible for the leak. Did it really matter if they didn't find out about the other founder of the Akatsuki? Knowing Orochimaru, he had probably killed him centuries ago.

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	70. Interrogation Part Three

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, LillyTigress, cynder81, Codydog, donalgraeme, melissen and Drago Imperiali for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**One scene had been edited to confirm with the terms and conditions of the site.**

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**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**70: Interrogation Part Three**

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Shikamaru felt better after Na-chan's visit. He had enjoyed the evening meal and then, after their visitors had departed, consoled himself with a lively session messing up Neji's room.

He slept well.

None of the alarms he had set had gone off overnight. Next morning, coffee in hand, he activated the interfaces and displays. As Kabuto had not spoken, there were no recordings selected for analysis.

Instead he sampled the recording to find out what Sasori had been doing.

He had taken Kabuto out of the tank, washed him and wheeled him back to his cabin. Shikamaru watched him gently lay Kabuto on the bed and cover him. It was a side of Sasori that fascinated him; the unexpected tenderness. Had it always been there or had it developed because of his relationship with the Ranmaru reprint? The Ranmaru reprint was, like Ran himself, an empath. Did he see through all the layers of evasion and deceit? Was there a kernel, deep inside, of the person Sasori could have been if his life had been different?

An alarm sounded. Shikamaru flipped through the live feeds until he found the correct one; Sasori was opening Orochimaru's pod.

He activated the intercom. "This is Shikamaru. Please could Kakashi-san and Neji-san come to the meeting room immediately?"

The pod was upright, feet end down. Sasori stood at a distance; feet together and hands neatly clasped.

Despite not been summoned, Kotohime was the first to arrive, followed closely by Neji and Kakashi.

Kakashi looked at Kotohime, probably considering asking her to leave.

"I am sure that Kotohime-san can give us insights into Orochimaru's behaviour, Kakashi-san," Neji pointed out.

Kakashi thought about it and then nodded. "Please take a seat, Kotohime-san."

They watched as the pod started to open. Shikamaru saw Sasori stiffen momentarily before he forced himself to relax; so even Sasori, who appeared impossible to intimidate, was frightened of Orochimaru.

If Orochimaru was surprised to see Sasori standing there, he did not show it.

"_Orochimaru-sama,"_ Sasori stated, bowing deeply and remaining bent at the waist.

Orochimaru reached for the robe that Sasori had put out for him and slipped it on.

"_Sasori,"_ he acknowledged.

Sasori straightened. _"I am honoured that you remember me, Orochimaru-sama."_

Orochimaru did not comment. _"So this is Pein's ship," _he stated.

Shikamaru and Kakashi exchanged glances. How did he know?

"The robe," Neji stated. "It is Konan's needlework. Also he knows that Sasori stole Pein's ship."

"_Yes, Orochimaru-sama,"_ Sasori replied.

"_Explain why I should not kill you, given the trouble you have caused me."_

"_I am what I am, Orochimaru-sama. Klennethon Darrent was a difficult man to refuse."_

They had not discussed mentioning Klenn. Shikamaru looked to Neji.

"It is a good tactic," he confirmed. "It implies that Sasori was not working for Uchiha."

Orochimaru did not ask how long he had been podded, or how Sasori had found the stasis unit, or any of the other questions that Shikamaru had anticipated.

"_Where is Kabuto?"_ he asked.

"_Sleepdrugged in what used to be Konan-san's cabin, Orochimaru-sama. I have prepared what used to be Pein-san's cabin and office for you."_

Orochimaru's lips moved in the slightest suggestion of a smile. _"That was very thoughtful of you, Sasori. What if I said that I would prefer you?"_

Sasori bowed. _"I would be surprised, Orochimaru-sama, but if that is your wish." _ He began undressing.

"_Stop," _Orochimaru ordered. _"You will give me the key code to Kabuto's cabin and a wake-up shot to use on him. What time of ship's day is it?"_

Sasori refastened his jacket. _"It is still the first half of the morning, Orochimaru-sama."_

"_You will be ready with a full report by mid afternoon."_

"_I understand, Orochimaru-sama."_

They watched, moving from one camera to the next, as Sasori led the way up the ship's levels.

"Lady knows how Sasori can turn his back on him," Kakashi observed.

"It is the only way to survive," Kotohime told them. "You have to behave as if you are handing him your life and it is in his gift not to end it."

"Is he the original?" Kakashi asked.

Kotohime considered. "Either a print or the original. Not a clone raised differently and pretending to be him."

There was no mindnet so it had to be the original; they had what they wanted. "Maybe we should end it here," Shikamaru suggested. "I could gas them. We could repod Kabuto and Orochimaru and send Sasori on his way."

Kakashi glared at him. "Shikamaru, we did not go through all this just to check if he was the original. We could have done that by simply unpodding him here on the Elm."

"I did wonder why you were going to all this trouble," Kotohime added, which didn't help.

"I thought we would learn more this way," Shikamaru admitted. He did not say that it had seemed a humane alternative to allowing Kakashi to torture them.

"We are," Neji pointed out. "We should allow it to run its course."

Trouble was, its course included whatever appalling things Orochimaru chose to do.

Orochimaru let himself into Kabuto's cabin and placed the wake-up shot on the low table near the bed. He then drew back the covers and examined Kabuto's skin; all of it, every scrap. Rolling him over, he continued checking before reaching for the hypospray and pressing it to Kabuto's neck.

Kabuto's eyes fluttered open. _"Orochimaru-sama,"_ he murmured.

Shikamaru stared at the display, watching the two of them together.

"Turn it off, Shika-san." Kakashi instructed. "Your programme will find any conversations and I shall examine the recordings later for any hand signals or other code." He turned to Kotohime. "Show's over for now, Kotohime-san. Do you intend to stay aboard or should I arrange a shuttle to Skyburrow?"

"I would like to visit Rin-san in Skyburrow. We were discussing refinements to hybrid age retard and I have had some thoughts."

It was a reminder to Kakashi and the rest of them just how much they owed her.

"So Rin-san is back to her usual self?" Shikamaru asked.

"Not really," Kotohime admitted, "but she can switch between Rin-mode and mother-mode." She shuddered. "I could not have done it. Do you know she is going to look just like him? I ran the maturing programme."

Shikamaru imagined a little girl with straight black hair, pale skin and amber eyes.

"We in Uchiha do not blame children for the acts of their parents," Kakashi reminded her.

Once Kotohime had gone, Kakashi turned to Shikamaru. "Can you set it up so that Sasori could trigger the knockout gas by a phrase or a gesture?"

Shikamaru was surprised; Kakashi had resisted that suggestion only a few days ago. "Phrase, yes. By gesture would be more of a challenge but I can do it with Sasori's cooperation."

"Begin sorting it out and get Sasori on the other end of a link."

Sasori was available, suggesting that he expected to be contacted.

"Your opinion, Sasori-san," Neji encouraged.

"_I think it is him,"_ Sasori replied. _"He is different from the print I knew. This Orochimaru is more intense, more present."_

More scary, Shikamaru added silently.

"We have decided that you should have the option of triggering the knock-out gas," Kakashi told him.

Sasori smiled. _"Am I detecting some concern for my well-being, Kakashi-san?"_

"No," Kakashi answered bluntly. "If your head exploded it would be no more than a temporary inconvenience." He glanced across at Shikamaru. "However, for some reason it would upset Shikamaru-san."

Neji and Kakashi went about their business while Shikamaru and Sasori sorted out a number of phrases and combinations of gestures.

"What next?" Shikamaru asked once they were finished.

"_I avoid them as much as possible and leave it up to Kabuto to extract the information you require."_

"The report he wants this afternoon?"

Sasori shrugged. _"I'll keep the lies as simple as possible."_

"What if he orders you to move the ship?" Shikamaru asked.

"_If he insists, I shall move it,"_ Sasori admitted. _"Slowly. You are not going to get more than a few days. Less if Kabuto decides to tell him that I threatened to sell them to Uchiha."_

"Will he?"

Sasori shrugged. _"Perhaps not. Loyalty comes in many forms. Kabuto will keep a secret if he feels he is protecting Orochimaru by doing so."_

Shikamaru thought of Sai. "Yes, I can see that."

Sorting out the trigger had taken more time than Shikamaru had expected; the bulk of the morning was over. He left his programmes monitoring the feeds and went to help Iruka with the midday meal.

Not that Iruka required assistance to look after such a small crew, but he would appreciate the company.

Shikamaru need not have worried; Inryoku and Enerugi were already there. Inryoku was setting the table while Enerugi chatted with Iruka.

"We have news," Enerugi announced as soon as Shikamaru entered.

"En-chan," Inryoku scolded.

"This is Shika-san," Enerugi pointed out. "Konan-san won't mind in the least if we tell him. Will he Iruka-san?"

Iruka smiled. "I imagine that Konan-san will be fine with it."

"Konan-san and Hana-san are going to swear to Sasuke-sama before they go back to Tarrasade."

"That is excellent news," Shikamaru acknowledged. It was a relief; he did not like the way Izuna sought out Konan's company.

After the midday meal he, Neji and Kakashi observed the meeting between Sasori and Orochimaru. Orochimaru demanded a tour of the ship, asked few questions and did not challenge the lies Sasori told him. He only showed interest in the mindprinter and uploader.

"Conclusions?" Kakashi requested.

"I understand why he is interested in the mindprinter and uploader," Neji began. "However, I do not understand why he is so uninterested in how he came to be on Pein's ship with Sasori."

"He may have decided to ignore anything Sasori tells him," Shikamaru suggested. "It is not an unreasonable decision if he remembers Sasori or knows his reputation."

"Could having the mindprinter and uploader have changed his plans?" Kakashi asked.

Shikamaru's mind responded to the enquiry. Various thoughts intersected or crystallised. "I think he can mend them. He probably designed and built the originals." Deeper, more analytical, layers provided additional information. "It is now more likely that he will kill Kabuto and Sasori. It is now over ninety percent probable that he intends to kill Sasori."

Kakashi nodded. "Let's hope that we learn something useful before he does it."

Shikamaru pretended to be concentrating on the interface. He didn't want Orochimaru killing anyone else; not even Kabuto and certainly not Sasori. He wished he had never come up with the scheme. He looked through the live feeds until he found Orochimaru, who was on his way back to the level where he and Kabuto had their cabins.

Suddenly his chair was spun about and he found himself face-to-face with Kakashi.

"You are not watching live," Kakashi told him.

"Kakashi-san is right, Shika," Neji agreed. "It will upset you. You have to accept that what Orochimaru does is not your responsibility, it is his."

Shikamaru knew that was not Kakashi's reason. Kakashi thought he would gas Orochimaru if he attacked Kabuto, which he probably would.

"Perhaps you should go back to Skyburrow," Kakashi suggested. "Leave this to me and Neji-san."

"No," Shikamaru replied quickly. He had made the deal with Sasori; it was up to him to see it through.

Kakashi studied him for a moment and then turned to Neji. "He's not to watch live, or he's going back to Skyburrow."

Banished, Shikamaru went to his room. There he donned goggles, earpiece and throat mike before plunging into the data streams.

Once he had caught up with all his identities he checked the Tennyos' reports.

Then, putting work aside, he persuaded Haru to forgo what he was doing in favour of a game of Go before checking on Sumiko and Sai.

They were keeping the same routine on the Elm as in Skyburrow, so Sumiko being called for her evening meal served to remind Shikamaru of his.

He resisted the urge to look at what was happening on the other ship. After the meal he would go through that afternoon's recordings.

His fork was halfway between his plate and his mouth when his wrist alarm sounded.

"What is it?" Kakashi demanded.

Out of habit he looked to Iruka; interrupting a meal had never been acceptable. Once Iruka had nodded, he checked. "Sasori has triggered the knock-out gas."

Iruka judged Kakashi's reaction. "You had better look into it."

Released, Shikamaru ran to the meeting room and activated the equipment. The live feed showed Kabuto collapsed on the floor of his cabin.

He left that image on one of the displays and went looking for Sasori. He was strapped to a chair in Pein's office. Zooming in, Shikamaru could see angry red marks around his neck.

He told himself that he would be able to tell if Sasori was dead.

"Find out what happened," Kakashi ordered. "Keep them unconscious. I will report to Sasuke-sama and ready the ship for jump."

He and Neji started by investigating how Sasori had ended up strapped to a chair. Orochimaru had trapped the door and summoned Sasori to the office. Avoiding the trap distracted Sasori just enough as Orochimaru had thrown a blanket over him. The thick fabric had stopped the darts and hindered his knife arm, allowing Orochimaru to land the blow that rendered him senseless.

"Skip forward?" Neji suggested.

Shikamaru concurred; they could check the fine detail later.

The intercom clicked. _"This is Kakashi. Is there any reason we should not jump?"_

Shikamaru checked the data from the sensors in the other system. He did not expect to find anything. Other than Pein's ship, the system was deserted. "This is Shikamaru. I see no reason not to jump."

"_This is Kakashi. Prepared for jump in ten seconds." _

There was the familiar brief disorientation and then they went back to checking the recordings.

Orochimaru had strapped Sasori to the chair and waited for him to regain consciousness. There was a flash of anger in Sasori's eyes, which was quickly suppressed.

"_Orochimaru-sama,"_ he acknowledged.

"_Why is Kabuto asking me questions?"_ Orochimaru asked.

The tone of his voice, even recorded and reproduced, sent shivers down Shikamaru's spine.

"_Questions, Orochimaru-sama?"_ Sasori queried.

"_Do not attempt to play your games with me. He told me, once I had insisted, that you want to know who from within the Uchiha household betrayed Sasuke Uchiha and name of the other founding member of the Akatsuki. Why?"_

"_To sell the information," _Sasori replied._ "Uchiha know I was a member. They will believe I could have or acquire such information."_

Orochimaru studied him. _"You could sell us to Uchiha."_

Sasori looked him directly in the eyes. _"I want both. I want payment from Uchiha and whatever I can gain from you."_

Orochimaru sat back. _"As greedy and self-seeking as ever. In that you are consistent."_ He considered. _"No, it does not fit. If you had control of his ship you would never have disabled the mindprinter or the uploader. Sold them, yes, disabled them, no. Then there is the wording of the vendetta. You were specifically excluded, like Kotohime and Konan and the Zetsus. You are going to tell me what is happening, Sasori."_

He leaned forward, wrapped his hands around Sasori's neck and pressed on his larynx with his thumbs.

Shikamaru paused the video. "Why didn't he trigger the gas?"

"Perhaps he is checking that Orochimaru is not bluffing," Neji suggested. "Or maybe he believed he could regain the upper hand. I could watch the rest of the video alone, Shika, and tell you what happens."

"No," Shikamaru decided and restarted the recording.

It was not easy to watch. Orochimaru gave a small smile as Sasori's lips turned blue. He kept up the pressure until Sasori's survival instincts took over and he started fighting to free himself.

Then, after what seemed forever to Shikamaru, Sasori went still and stared at his capture with undisguised fear.

"Now," Neji observed and, at that moment, Orochimaru released his grasp. Sasori gasped.

Shikamaru looked across at Neji, How had he known?

"He was waiting for Sasori to submit," Neji explained.

Orochimaru waited until Sasori's breathing had slowed.

"_We will do that again and then I will ask you questions. Or perhaps we will do it twice before I ask. Or three times. Or maybe four."_

It had been then that Sasori had triggered the knock-out gas.

The intercom clicked again.

"_This is Kakashi. Shikamaru, tell me your plan included embedding an autopilot sequence that allows us to get that ship into one of our docking bays."_

"Shikamaru here. Of course."

Less than a hundred minutes after the alarm had sounded, Sasori was sitting in the meeting room on the Elm rubbing his throat.

"Do you wish for some pain relief, Sasori-san?" Neji asked. "We do not want to treat the damage until we have decided whether we wish to reinstate the scenario from which we extracted you."

"It's over," Sasori croaked. "At least in that format."

"Too scared?" Kakashi taunted.

"No, merely realistic. He wants the ship. He has decided to kill me. I confess I do not understand his relationship with Kabuto. Maybe he is fond of him. That brand of mindless loyalty is difficult to replace."

"What next?" Neji asked.

They decided to make one last attempt to extract some useful information. The ship would not leave the Elm's docking bay and the Elm would not jump back through the hole. They sedated Kabuto and Orochimaru before clearing the knock-out gas. Kabuto was placed in bed and the door of his cabin relocked. Orochimaru was strapped into the chair that had held Sasori.

Kakashi, Neji and Shikamaru watched from the meeting room. Sasori sat at a safe distance, waiting for Orochimaru to regain consciousness.

"_Our positions are reversed, Orochimaru,"_ he began.

Orochimaru ignored him. Instead he stared at the most likely hiding place for a camera.

"_Sasuke Uchiha. I have information you required for your survival and the survival of those you hold dear. I can tell you the identity of the traitor in your household. I can tell you the name of the other founding member of the Akatsuki." _He smiled. _"I can even tell you how to extend the lifespan of your beloved and your hybrid sons."_

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...


	71. Temptation

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, LillyTigress, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, LillyTigress, cynder81, Codydog, Drago Imperiali donalgraeme and melissen for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 7: Vendetta**

**71: Temptation**

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Sasuke could not stay at his desk. He made tea he did not want to drink. He looked through the triplet's latest offerings and rearranged the shelves bearing the gifts they had given him. He went through the cards he had written over the last few days, condensed his notes and disposed of the originals.

His eyes kept going to the portrait that Konohamaru had taken. Naruto and his seven hybrid sons; how could he ignore the titbit that Orochimaru had held out to him?

Knowing he would regret it, he replayed the clip.

"_I can even tell you how to extend the lifespan of your beloved and your hybrid sons."_

Orochimaru had known exactly what to say; precisely how to snare him.

It was probably a lie.

Probably.

His feet were carrying him along the corridor before he had realised he had made a decision. Naruto would be in the shared area, as he was most evenings; available should any of the big litter be in need of some advice or company.

He was in the kitchen holding Aiko. Dan was sitting slumped in one of the chairs.

"I could not soothe her," he explained. "Rin is desperate for some rest and I promised that I would manage it somehow."

Sasuke leaned over. The baby was fast asleep. "You did."

"Naruto-san did," Dan pointed out.

"His magic touch," Sasuke explained.

"Twelve babies' worth of experience," Naruto reminded them. He smiled at Sasuke. "I'll help Dan-san put Aiko-chan to bed and be straight back."

Sasuke watched him walk away. What if it was not a lie?

He was soon back.

"It isn't like Kakashi to contact you in the evening," he observed. "Not unless it is urgent."

"Orochimaru has caught on," Sasuke replied. "It looks like the whole scheme has been a waste of time and effort. Kakashi is annoyed. You know how he felt about it. I imagine he is giving Shika a hard time. I thought I would shuttle over there and talk with them face-to-face."

"Tomorrow," Naruto checked.

Sasuke had been intending to go immediately but such urgency would make Naruto suspicious. "Tomorrow," he confirmed.

"Good. We can see the triplets before we go."

This was the tricky bit. "I want you to stay here, dobe."

Naruto frowned.

"They have Pein's ship in one of the Elm's docking bays. I don't want you anywhere near that man."

"That's irrational, teme."

"I know, but it is how I feel."

"You'll be back before ship's night?" Naruto checked.

"That's the plan," Sasuke confirmed.

"Two of Hamaki, Terai and Fu pilot the shuttle."

"All three if that is what you want."

"No, one of them should stay here. Naomi is missing Haku and Mai. Kakashi-san will stand in as bodyguard if you are to be in a room with an outsider?"

For a split moment, Sasuke thought that Naruto had guessed what he was going to do. "Outsider?"

"Sasori," Naruto clarified.

"Of course. Maybe you could pick me out a set of tags."

Kakashi was in the docking bay to meet the shuttle. He greeted Terai and Fu, giving them a look that told them to be elsewhere.

"Sasuke-sama," he acknowledged once they were out of earshot.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke replied, choosing the honorific that released Kakashi to speak freely.

"The man has no honour. He will say anything to prolong his life."

"He will also do anything," Sasuke pointed out. "Look at the difference Kotohime's expertise has made. He knows even more than she does."

"Dealing with him will be like wading through shit," Kakashi warned.

Sasuke nodded. "It will be up to me to make sure none of it sticks. Has he said anything more?"

"No, he refuses to speak to anyone other than you."

"Are we ready?"

"We can be. Don't you want to talk things through with Shikamaru and Neji first?"

Sasuke imagined two pairs of eyes, one dark and one pale, studying him. "No."

They had set up the larger of the receiving rooms in the secure suite. All the furniture had been removed other than one chair, which he had positioned to give the impression of a ruler or perhaps a judge. Sasuke settled into it. Kakashi took up the traditional position of a bodyguard.

"Neji-san, Shika-san," Sasuke checked.

The reply came through his earpiece. _"This is Neji. The sound and vision check has been completed."_

For a moment Sasuke wondered if Shikamaru would reply. Was he even there?

"_This is Shikamaru. Ready."_

"Please bring the prisoner in."

Tatsuji entered and took up his position at the side of the room. Then Terai and Fu brought him in. He was handcuffed, shackled and chained.

"_This is Neji. I recommend you allow him to stand, Sasuke-sama."_

Sasuke moved two fingers of his left hand, telling Terai and Fu not to force the prisoner onto his knees.

Terai placed his foot on the chain, removing any slack.

Sasuke experienced a moment's satisfaction at Orochimaru's obvious disappointment on seeing Kakashi standing as bodyguard rather than Naruto.

"You will never be in a room with him," he promised.

"_Sasuke-sama,"_ Neji warned via his earpiece.

Orochimaru smiled. "Is that so?"

Despite the restraints, despite his position as supplicant, Orochimaru had established the upper hand. He had demanded Sasuke's attendance. His mere presence had goaded Sasuke into speaking.

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, determined to remain calm. "Speak your piece."

"I can prolong the life of your beloved and your sons."

Maybe it was the truth; Neji did not suggest he was lying. "Why should I believe you?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "You have Chief Medico Rin. You have access to Kotohime Fuma. You have a typed-seven genius. You will have no problem judging if what I recommend is valid."

"And what do you want in return?"

"My life and Kabuto's life."

It was unexpected that he would ask for Kabuto's life as well as his own. Sasuke moved his index finger, asking for comment.

"_This is Shikamaru. They do fuck a lot. It's possible Orochimaru cares for him."_

"_This is Neji. It is unlikely to be that straightforward but it does appear to be an interdependent relationship."_

"Just your lives?"

"To ask for more seemed overambitious. Of course, you could put us to work. We could devote the balance of our lives to prolonging the lives of hybrids so that they are in keeping with their human heritage. You could not have a more expert resource at your disposal." Orochimaru gave the smallest of smiles. "Also, I know that I can trust you. You are a man of honour; a good man. Once you have given your word you will not break it and if you grant us our lives we will be treated well. The worst that will happen is that we will be placed in stasis."

"What if my people judge your offering to be inadequate or the treatment you recommend too risky?"

"They will not. I will be candid with you. What I know at this time is not a cure. It will give your beloved another three to five standards. It will give your sons, because of their youth, up to another decade."

Another three standards with Naruto; his sons living to fifty rather than forty.

"Your word that you will spare our lives," Orochimaru pushed.

Sasuke did not need Kakashi to move slightly or Neji's sharp intake of breath to know that giving an answer so quickly was foolish.

"I shall consider your proposal," he admitted. "Take him away."

He sat deep in thought after they had gone. Three standards with Naruto; ten more for each of his hybrid sons. It was almost impossible to think past that.

"Sasuke-sama?" Kakashi queried.

Sasuke looked up and realised that Kakashi had moved to a position where he could make eye contact.

"We will understand if this is a decision you choose to take alone."

In other words, it was not a decision he should take lightly or without discussion to explore the consequences. "No, we should talk it through."

"_This is Neji. I will set up the small meeting room. Do you want me to invite Iruka-san on your behalf?"_

Iruka would insist that he discussed it with Naruto. "Not for this first discussion, Neji-san."

Neji brought coffee and tea. He poured a coffee for Shikamaru and Kakashi.

"Which would you prefer, Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke wanted coffee but the others knew that he only drank it when he was stressed. He almost said tea but realised that to do so would not convince any of them. "Coffee please, Neji-san."

"He never called you Uchiha-sama," Shikamaru stated before Neji had finished pouring himself some tea.

Sasuke looked up from his coffee and saw that Shikamaru was in full analytical mode. There was no sign of the everyday Shika: his coffee was untouched; his body rigid; his dark eyes unshuttered portals to another world.

"It is an obvious button to push, like saying you are good and a man of honour. He didn't."

"Shika..." Neji began but was stopped by Kakashi's hand on his arm.

"And why did he only ask for his life? Why was being put into stasis not a problem for him? Why would that be enough?"

Sasuke gut twisted.

"It's because it is enough," Shikamaru continued. He wants to live long enough for Izuna to take over. He knows that Izuna will let him live. They've already got an agreement. He gets Keizo and unlimited access to the Bara hybrid stem cells. It was his price for getting rid of you and he still wants it."

"Shikamaru-san..." Kakashi warned, because Sasuke had not done so.

Shikamaru cut him off. "No. We're past that point. I don't care that he's a purebred Uchiha and I am meant to show him respect. This was the last piece. He and Orochimaru were working together between Izuna coming out of stasis and the declaration of the vendetta."

"You are sure?" Sasuke queried. He was imagining generation after generation of baby Narutos being raised to be bonded to men like Orochimaru. Suddenly it was about more than an extra three standards with Naruto, or even an additional decade for his sons.

"I am sure," Shikamaru confirmed.

There was silence. Shikamaru did not relax or reach for his coffee; Sasuke imagined his thoughts racing between parts of his mind that he usually kept separate.

Kakashi spoke first. "This puts us at an advantage."

Sasuke could not see how.

"Both of them are busy planning for a future where Izuna Uchiha is clan leader. We know that this future will not exist."

It was true; if Izuna regained the clan leadership it would be for less than a minute within the Killing Square before Kuuya or one of the other kits killed him.

"You could risk giving Orochimaru what he requested," Neji suggested. "Being put into stasis rather than killing him in return for information."

For the first time, Sasuke allowed himself to imagine what Naruto would say. To Naruto there would be no alternative; Orochimaru needed to die for what he had done and to prevent the damage he might do in the future.

"Shikamaru-san?" Kakashi asked.

"We need to look beyond making Kuuya heir," Shikamaru replied. "Izuna will declare himself clan leader. Not killing Orochimaru and Kabuto, not having a sharp and decisive end to the vendetta, will make you look weak. It will give Izuna ammunition to use against you. Not killing them unbalances the power struggle and tilts it in his favour rather than yours." Tears welled in his eyes and began running down his cheeks.

Sasuke understood why; with every word he spoke, prolonging Naruto's life became less probable.

"We could torture the information out of him," Kakashi proposed.

Shikamaru's head turned and Sasuke found himself caught by those eyes; the terrifying depth of the typed-seven genius and the tears of their closest friend. They were pleading, but for what?

All he could do was to be true to himself.

"No. That is not the new Uchiha."

The expression in Shikamaru's eyes changed to gratitude. Sasuke was relieved. Having Shikamaru agree with him helped.

"Ask Tatsuji, Terai and Fu to bring the prisoner to the meeting room."

"Now?" Kakashi queried. "Sasuke-sama, there is no rush."

"Now please, Kakashi-san."

They went through the same steps as they had before. This time Orochimaru looked smug. There was a slight smirk on his lips. He was certain he had won.

He had not.

Sasuke looked him directly in the eyes. "My answer is no. You will die in the Killing Square and nothing you do or say will stop it."

Orochimaru's eyes widened and his jaw hung loose. His skin, even his lips, paled to grey.

"Take him away and stick him in a pod," Sasuke ordered.

He began struggling as soon as Terai and Fu lay hands on him. "I can offer more," he insisted.

Sasuke ignored him.

"I can tell you how to destroy Izuna Uchiha," Orochimaru yelled as he was dragged through the doorway.

"_Sasuke-sama?"_ Neji queried via his earpiece.

No, the decision was absolute; new Uchiha did not negotiate with men like Orochimaru.

That done, Sasuke was determined to bring the whole episode to a close; the sooner the better. Orochimaru and Kabuto would be podded and stored in Skyburrow. The Elm would take Sasori back to his ship and return Pein's to Garner Parrad.

"I shall see to it, Sasuke-sama," Kakashi told him.

"I have business with Sasori," Shikamaru insisted.

Sasuke studied him. He looked terrible; devoid of colour and suffering the after-effects of taking down the partitions that usually segregated his thoughts. There would be a day's delay if they waited for him to recover and sending him with the Elm was not an option; he needed to be home with Naruto and Sumiko and Haru.

"Could you see him now?"

Neji stiffened.

"Maybe with a very mild painkiller?" Sasuke suggested. "Something that would ward off the headache. Then you and Neji could come back to Skyburrow with me while Kakashi-san sorts out who will make the deliveries we need to make."

"Just give me what you need to give Sasori," Kakashi suggested.

"No," Shikamaru insisted.

So they set up a third meeting in the secure suite, although this time Shikamaru and Neji were in the room and the elite fighters would be escorting a guest rather than a prisoner.

"You do not have to be here, Sasuke-sama," Shikamaru pointed out for the third time.

Sasuke chose not to acknowledge that Shikamaru did not want him there. "I wish to be present, Shika-san," he replied.

Sasori bowed. "Uchiha-sama, I am honoured."

Sasuke decided on a small nod of acknowledgement. Any more seemed excessive given that Sasori was a duplicitous, amoral murderer. Shikamaru did take a liking to some of the most inappropriate people.

"I wanted to thank you for trying, Sasori-san," Shikamaru began.

"I did not do it as a favour, Shikamaru-san," Sasori reminded him.

"I know that," Shikamaru replied, taking a small object from his pocket. "This is a data crystal sliver. Do you have an appropriate reader?"

Sasori nodded.

"There is a clinic. They are expecting to hear from you. All the details are in the sliver. I have arranged for any bills to be paid. It is up to you and Ranmaru-san if you decide to go forward with it."

There was sadness in the brown eyes. "The truth is that it is I shall have to make the decision alone, Shikamaru-san." He offered a brief wistful smile. "We are happy in our small way. If we do this, maybe we will lose even that." He looked at Sasuke. "Some decisions are hard. It is difficult to know what is best, even without considering whether it is right."

Sasuke found himself compelled to reply. "That is true. I wish you and Ranmaru-san the best with whichever path you choose."

They did not say much on the shuttle. The painkiller was wearing off; Shikamaru was leaning against Neji's shoulder with his eyes closed.

Sasuke was glad that he had insisted that they come home with him.

Naruto was in the shuttle bay. Sasuke made eye contact and then hung back. Naruto read the message and focused on Shikamaru, gathering him into a hug.

"Shi-chan."

"I'm not doing so well," Shikamaru admitted. "It didn't work out the way it was meant to. I'm sorry, Na-chan."

Sasuke saw the puzzled look in Naruto's eyes. His heart beat a little faster. Shikamaru might say something about Orochimaru's offer; it was going to be hard to own up but it would be even worse if Naruto found out from someone else.

"Worry about all that later," Naruto replied. "Neji's going to look after you. Sasuke and I'll make sure Su-chan doesn't bother you." He looked to Neji, who nodded.

Sasuke was surprised that Naruto was willing to trust Neji; he still had not forgiven him for choosing Hinata over Shikamaru.

"He needs to clear his mind so he can put the partitions back," Naruto explained once Shikamaru and Neji had left. "The best way of doing that is for him to climax. That's Neji's job, not mine."

"What did he do when Neji was with Hinata?" Sasuke asked without thinking. He held up a hand before Naruto could answer. "Forget I asked. It is none of my business." He took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

"About Shi-chan?"

"No," Sasuke admitted.

They went to their room via the playroom, where Sasuke spoke to Sumiko and Naruto to Kiba. Sumiko seemed to accept that Shikamaru had a headache and would probably not see her until tomorrow morning.

Finally they sat opposite each other, cross-legged, on their bed.

"The reason I gave you for going to the Elm was true but not complete," Sasuke began. He forced himself to look into Naruto's eyes. There was no point drawing it out. "Orochimaru had said that he could prolong your and the kits' and Ryuu's lives."

Naruto's mouth tightened and his eyes narrowed; he was angry. "Sasuke..."

"I know. But I had to at least hear what he had to say."

"No you didn't. He has to die. There isn't another option."

"That is what I told him," Sasuke admitted. "He was rather shocked."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Good," he stated. He scowled. "You shouldn't have spoken with him and you shouldn't have lied to me."

"I didn't..." Sasuke began before registering the warning in Naruto's eyes. "I am sorry. I just love you and the children so much."

Naruto's expression softened. "I know you do. I forgive you. You did the right thing in the end and I am proud of you."

"Thank you." It did make what he had done a little easier. He fell back on the vows they had exchanged so long ago. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me."

Naruto smiled slightly. "You are the centre of my world."

"Dobe."

"Teme."

* * *

...


	72. Promises

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, cynder81, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, Codydog, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme, melissen and LillyTigress for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**This is start of a new section, which is set some divs after the end of chapter 71.**

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**Leader**

**Part 8: Clan**

**72: Promises**

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Haru woke a few minutes before his alarm. His eyes went to where his uniform hung waiting. After today everything would be different.

By the time he was out of the head, Kazuki was scratching at his door. He called for him to come in.

"Happy birth anniversary," Ka-chan declared.

"Happy birth anniversary," Haru replied.

"It's finally here. It feels like we've been waiting for ages."

It didn't feel that way to Haru. To Haru it felt like he had been running to catch up and that he still hadn't quite made it. There again, he hadn't been fucking in closets for the last five divs. He wondered whose room they'd use; Kazuki's or Ryuka's.

"Kazuki to Haru, Kazuki to Haru."

He flushed. "I'm listening."

"No you aren't but it doesn't matter. Come on. Everyone will be in the kitchen by now."

The plan was to do the usual birth anniversary stuff in the morning and the formal stuff in the afternoon. Haru knew Papa would have liked them to take their oaths in Tarrasade but that wasn't possible. Izuna-sama would challenge if Papa turned up before they established that Kuuya was heir.

It had made a big difference to Kuuya to know that Papa thought of him like that. He had stepped up. He had even persuaded To-chan that it was the right thing to do, which had been a big ask given that To-chan had hated the idea.

In his way, To-chan could be as overprotective as Papa.

"Ha-chan! Clothes!" Kazuki ordered.

Luckily Haru had picked them out the night before; a new top and his favourite pants. He dragged them on and pulled a comb through his hair.

They were last. Everyone who was meant to be there was already sitting at the table: the rest of the big litter, Papa and To-chan. Kiba-san, Shi-chan and the triplets. Iruka-sensei was helping Choza-san bring all the special birth anniversary breakfast food to the table and Kakashi-san was perched on one of the counters with Ran beside him.

Then they opened all the usual birth anniversary presents; clothes sent by Haku-san, a new wallet each from Kiba-san, gadgets from Shi-chan, joke gifts from the kits and various misshapen objects from the triplets. Then Papa told them that some of the presents were waiting in Tarrasade, which was intriguing.

There was no sign of the tea caddy with the dragon on the side and no voting but Haru could live with that.

The rest of the morning went past at a breakneck pace. There was a treasure hunt followed by fun things to do in Shi-chan's level, like trying tightrope walking and a climbing the greasy pole competition.

Kazuki won of course, although Ryuka and Yuki made sure the outcome wasn't as inevitable as usual.

A lively midmeal followed. This time everyone was there and it ended with cake.

Then it was back to their rooms to prepare for the serious stuff. Haru dressed carefully in his uniform and checked his appearance in the mirror. What in known space was he meant to do with his hair?

A scratch at his door; it was To-chan. He came in and looked over Haru's shoulder into the mirror.

"You look just like your Papa did at your age."

"Even the hair?"

"Especially the hair." To-chan moved it around a bit with his fingers and suddenly it looked fine. He pressed his lips to the top of Haru's head. "You look so grown up."

Haru understood. For so long he had been the straggler; the baby of the big litter. "I think we'll need you and Papa even more now," he admitted. "Finding our own way has got to be harder than being raised."

To-chan smiled at him. "When you talk like that you remind me of Shi-chan. Are you ready?"

"Is it time?" Haru queried, suddenly worried that he was late and that was why To-chan had knocked on his door.

"Not quite," To-chan assured him.

The big litter gathered outside the large double doors, each of which bore half of the Uchiha crest. Beyond was the new hall containing every member of Uchiha who could be there, which was everyone other than those in Tarrasade watching Izuna-sama.

The hall had been Shi-chan and To-chan's idea. They wanted to help Papa feel better about not holding the ceremony in Tarrasade. Shi-chan had acquired an ancient, abandoned luxury liner and arranged for it to be delivered. Hikaru, working with Kotetsu and Izumo, had planned how to divide it up, encase the pieces and incorporate them into Skyburrow.

Then, once the liner had arrived, they had all had worked their butts off converting the ballroom before their birth anniversary.

It was magnificent. There was a large central area surrounded on three sides by a mezzanine. On either side of the doors there were sweeping staircases leading to the upper level, each of which had the best banisters for sliding down. There were huge viewing ports on the mezzanine and the ceiling could be set to show almost anything.

Today it would display the starscape from Tarrasade, to remind them of their clan's home.

"Everyone ready?" Kuuya asked.

They took their places: Haru and Kazuki in front, followed by Hoshi, Yuki and Hikaru and then Yoshimi, Yasushi, Ryuu, Keizo and Kuuya. The Uchiha crest split, the doors slid apart and they walked forward.

The crew was drawn up in two rows on either side. At the front, under the crest hanging from the mezzanine, was Papa. He stood alone, as he would only ever do when surrounded by crew. To-chan was at the head of the row to Haru's left, five empty spaces beside him. Kiba-san was opposite To-chan. Next to him were the other five places, waiting to be filled.

Kazuki went first, which felt right since he had been first to be born. He swore to Papa, giving Haru a chance to rehearse his oath, and then went to stand next to Kiba-san.

It was Haru's turn. His heart was thumping. As he walked forward he realised that his mind was completely and utterly blank.

Luckily his body seemed to know what to do. He stopped at the right place and put his hands in Papa's. Then Papa was speaking and, someone, he guessed it was him, was replying.

Papa squeezed his hands and he managed to phase back in for the last part of the exchange, the part where he promised to serve Papa until either one of them died or Papa released him.

Then he went and stood next to To-chan, opposite Ka-chan.

His other brothers and sister were swearing to Uchiha. Hoshi was first and Kuuya was last. Once Papa had accepted Kuu-chan's oath he declared that Kuuya was heir and slid the heir's ring onto his duty finger.

Everyone applauded. Then Papa said a few words about them being the future of Uchiha and thanked every member of the crew for the role they had played in raising them.

The ear piercing was next; Iruka-sensei had suggested should be part of the celebration. Keizo went first. Shino-san and Kotetsu-san, who had witnessed his naming, pierced his earlobes and put in gold rings that were the same buttery yellow colour as his hair.

Second was Kuuya, whose gold earrings had a touch of copper, picking up the red of his fur.

Yoshimi and Yasushi sat down after Kuu-chan. They had identical pairs of studs; pale blue sapphires set so that you couldn't see much of the metal fittings.

After that it got more complicated because it wasn't just about jewellery. Hikaru and Ryuu were next. Inari-san brought forward a box. Inside was a full set of tags and the matching jewellery that Hi-chan would wear. Somehow Papa had found amber-coloured sapphires and the metal work was amazing, decorated in sinuous patterns in different coloured golds.

For now they just wore the matching sets of studs.

He and Kazuki were next. To Haru's relief, their set was much simpler: blue sapphires set in platinum; well-worked but smart rather than fancy.

Neji-san pierced his earlobes and Dan-san did Ka-chan's.

Finally there were Yuki and Hoshi. Their set was blue sapphires in gold and more elegant than smart or ornate. Yuki was delighted and Hoshi, who didn't care much about jewellery or clothes, was happy for him.

The boxes of tags were set on a table at the side and To-chan walked towards Papa bearing a tray. On it, Haru knew, were seven knives.

Not ten; Papa had decided that even Hoshi didn't have enough physical strength to wield a knife effectively, never mind him or Hikaru.

This was Papa's compromise. He had held the kits and Ryuu back so that the big litter could move forward together, but they would become junior members of the crew while he, Hi-chan and Ho-chan remained trainees.

There was a huge cheer each time a knife was presented by Papa and strapped on by To-chan.

"I think..."

Haru jumped. Kakashi-san was right beside him.

"...it is time to begin remedial knife-fighting classes for you and Ran. Otherwise the two of you will be trainees forever."

Ran didn't mind keeping fit, but he hated hand-to-hand fighting. Maybe knife-fighting wouldn't be so bad for him; you didn't have to touch someone when you fought with a knife. Haru was just poor; he would lose concentration and provide his opponent with an opening.

"I'll ask Iruka to help. He managed to teach Shika-san when I had given up hope."

It was a good idea; Ran didn't mind Iruka-sensei touching him. "Thank you, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi-san chuckled. "You won't be so grateful when you are covered with bruises from Iruka's practice knife. He's ridiculously fast for a purebred without an implant or symbiote."

Once all the formalities were over the party started. There was more food that Haru had ever seen piled onto a long table at one side and drinks on a smaller table opposite. The music, which was pre-recorded while everyone was eating, started and Yuki danced out into the centre of the floor.

"Dancing with To-chan!" he announced.

Haru, like all his other brothers and sisters, abandoned all thought of food or drink, shed their jackets and hurried out onto the floor. To-chan joined them and all fourteen of them danced until the small purebreds and then the older purebreds gave out, leaving To-chan, the kits and Ryuu stamping and leaping and twirling.

"Will they ever stop?" Tsuneo asked from his perch on Shi-chan's shoulders.

It was a good question. Haru suspected it depended on whether it became a contest about who could last the longest.

It didn't, because Papa danced onto the floor, moving in a way that was distinctly non-Papa-like, and To-chan immediately lost interest in anyone or anything else.

Papa joining in was the signal everyone else had been waiting for; the party proper had begun.

Haru piled a plate high with tasties, grabbed a beaker of fruit punch and started up the stairs. He was sure he had spotted Ran up on the mezzanine but when he got up there he could not see him; perhaps he had gone down the other way to get some food.

He decided to sit down at one of the tables close to the viewing port and have a word with Sai.

Sai, like Ran, understood that birth anniversaries were about the big litter and that this time Haru would be even busier because of the ceremony. Shi-chan had promised that he and Su-chan would make sure Sai wasn't lonely.

Even so, Haru thought he would check.

He fished the earpiece and throat mike out of an inner pocket. He put the earpiece in carefully, making sure he avoided touching his newly-pierced earlobe. He stuck the tiny microphone to the skin of his throat, above the larynx, where it could pick up his words even if they were subvocalised.

"Sai?"

"Haru," Sai answered.

The response seemed immediate but Haru knew it that, for Sai, it was not.

"Felicitations on your birth anniversary and congratulations on taking your oath to Uchiha-sama."

"Thank you," Haru replied.

"I am fine with Sumiko-chan and Shika-san," Sai assured him. "You should enjoy the party. Will you be sharing sex with Ran now that you are old enough?"

Haru knew that he was blushing. "No. Maybe. I don't know." The thought of it gave him a stiffy.

A voice behind him. "Haru."

It was Papa and To-chan was with him. Haru was frozen, with part of his mind telling him to stand up and the rest wanting to hide his stiffy under the table.

To-chan solved the problem for him by sitting down, which meant that Papa did the same.

Papa placed a small, slim box on the table. "I promised you this," he said and slid it towards Haru.

Haru opened it. It was, as he had expected, a plaque; identical to the one on the collar around To-chan's neck.

"Haru," To-chan began.

Haru looked up from the plaque and was caught in his oto-san's gaze.

"The bond this represents is permanent. It is broken only by death. It goes far beyond the exchange of rings, or any marriage contract, or even an oath to a clan. Both you and the other person have to be absolutely certain before you make it."

"I understand," Haru replied.

Papa sighed. "I wish I were sure that you do. On the other hand, I do not want you to have to go to the extremes I did when I needed one and there was none available. Please wait, Haru. For you and Ran there is no rush. He is not about to be ripped from you and killed because of what he is."

Haru's gut twisted at the thought of it. He looked at the plaque nestling in its box and then closed the lid. "You have decided to trust me," he pointed out.

Papa considered and then nodded. "Yes, I have decided to trust you to use it wisely, which may mean never using it at all." He stood up and Haru was about to do likewise but Papa gestured for him to stay sitting down. "Eat your food."

To-chan followed Papa but looked back over his shoulder and smiled. "Ran is probably looking for you. I'll tell him where you are."

Haru stared at the box for a few minutes and then slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket. He was just about to bite into a tasty when Shizune-san, who was promenading around the mezzanine with Asuma-san, wished him all the best on his birth anniversary and he abandoned the tasty to reply.

That set the pattern for the next ten minutes; polite conversation and uneaten food. He wondered where Ran had got to.

He had just decided that To-chan had missed him when Ran's voice came from behind him.

"We need to sit somewhere else unless you want everyone to speak to you."

Haru turned around. Ran had a plate in one hand and a beaker in the other.

"The best place is that bit," he continued, pointing at the small part of the mezzanine that was beyond the staircase. "People walk up one staircase, around here and down the other."

They moved. There weren't any tables there, or chairs. Haru decided to sit on the floor with his legs through the balustrade. He put his plate to his right, expected Ran to put his plate beside it and sit beyond.

Instead Ran sat on his left, so close that their thighs were touching, and put his plate on the other side.

In one way it reminded him of sitting on the edge of the tree house. In another it was completely different because his stiffy was back.

Down below enough of the musicians had finished eating for the band to have started to form. Kuuya and Keizo were on drums, Tayuya was playing her flute and Hoshi had joined in on her biwa.

Hikaru started to sing. He sounded good; his voice filled the hall easily.

Ran finished his drink.

"Do you want me to get you another?" Haru asked.

"No," Ran replied. "Are you going to bother with any of the sweet tasties?"

"I don't think so. Too much cake earlier."

They stacked the plates with the two beakers on top and Ran put the pile on the floor to his left.

Haru watched the dancers, acutely aware that Ran had settled even closer. Yuki was dancing with Five, Kazuki with Ryuka and, to Haru's delight, Ryuu with Isaribi.

"There's no sign of Yo-chan and Ya-chan," he pointed out.

"There's no sign of us," Ran reminded him.

Haru turned to him. "Yes there is, they only have to look up." Ran was looking at him. Their eyes locked. Haru leaned in and kissed Ran's lips, as he had many times before.

Only this time it was different; Ran kissed him back. It was only a small movement of his lips but it was enough to ignite a firecracker of desire that sizzled through Haru's body and ended up in his groin.

Ran pulled away with a small moan of what sounded like pain.

"Sorry," Haru admitted. He knew he had to be careful; the closer they became, the more open Ran was to his emotions.

"Don't be," Ran assured him. "It's just hard to know where my feeling end and yours start."

Haru didn't know how to reply. Was that a good or a bad thing? Ran would have to decide.

"Try not to worry about it," Ran told him and then smiled. "Some hope, you worry about everything."

"I don't," Haru complained. "I might overthink things a bit," he conceded.

Ran laughed. "Might you?"

Haru knew he was being teased but he didn't care. Ran didn't laugh often and he loved the sound of it. "May I kiss you again?" he asked.

"Greedy Uchiha," Ran accused but prepared to be kissed.

Haru was even more careful this time. The kiss was brief and gentle but delightfully two-sided. Afterward he put his arm around Ran's waist and they watched the dancers below.

Papa had joined in with the musicians. To-chan and the triplets were nowhere to be seen; he had probably taken them off to bed.

"I asked Shika-san about empaths," Ran announced.

That surprised Haru. Ran had always said that it was just another feature, like brown hair, and he did not care why it worked any more than he cared why his hair was brown.

"He said that Centre had done a lot of work researching it. It's a recessive characteristic governed by a single, tightly-linked gene complex."

Haru knew what that meant. Some ancient genetic engineer, probably one of the Elite and definitely from well before the Purge, had decided that empathy was a desirable characteristic.

"There are two main versions," Ran continued. "The other one makes the person ten times more sensitive than I am and has visible genetic markers."

"What are the markers?" Haru asked.

"Red hair and emerald green eyes."

"So you are the blend-in version," he suggested.

"Shika-san suggested that they might have wanted people like me as child-minders or medicos while the other version was probably bred to be courtesans."

Haru thought that was a reasonable deduction.

"I think it's more about taste. Not everyone wants a sex-slave that's blatantly obviously and so sensitive that he or she can barely function."

The word 'sex-slave' alerted Haru; Ran was angry. He wished he had more time to decide on the best way to respond, but he didn't. He shrugged. "Kamatari-san was bred to be a rat-catcher and Kiba-san to be an irrationally loyal servant and To-chan to be the ultimate companion and Kisame-san to be an unbeatable fighter. The point of new Uchiha is that you don't become what you were meant to be but what you can be. That's why you belong with us."

Ran turned his head and looked at him.

"Anyway, you'd have been useless as a sex-slave," Haru continued. "Too stubborn. Too independent-minded. Far too inclined to speak your mind. Worse, you refuse to put up with bad behaviour and that's probably number one on a sex-slave's to-do list."

"A sex-slave's to-do list?" Ran queried.

"Yes, you know." He looked upwards and fluttered his eyelashes. "Oh master, you are wonderful. Oh master, everything you do is marvellous because you do it. Oh master, you are a god in bed." He looked back at his best friend. "Seriously, Ran, you'd be crap at it."

Ran smiled. "I would be, wouldn't I?"

"Absolutely."

They went back to watching the dancers. Haru thought about mentioning what Kakashi-san had said about knife-fighting lessons and decided not to because Ran might not like the idea.

"We could go down there for a bit," Ran suggested.

"You sure?" Haru checked. Ran didn't like crowds and there was a lot of uninhibited behaviour; the sake and whisky had appeared as soon as the children had gone to bed.

"For a bit. Then we could go back to my room."

That sounded good.

As Haru expected, Ran didn't last long. Ran collected their jackets and Haru went to the table at the side and picked up his half of his and Kazuki's tags. Then they started back for the crew room.

"I like the studs," Ran assured him. "The stones are exactly the colour of your eyes."

"Papa is fussy about stuff like that." Haru confirmed. He checked. Ran was wearing the simple gold rings that Iruka-sensei had given him when he became a trainee. They had become so familiar that he no longer noticed them, like the hairstyle that he had disliked so much when it was new. "You could grow your hair long," he suggested.

Ran gave him the look that asked where that had come from. "So could you."

"Too much trouble," Haru replied; he had seen how much time Hikaru spent on his hair and that Yuki spent on Hoshi's. Then he realised what Ran had meant. "Oh. Sorry." He tried again. "Have you thought about growing your hair?"

"Yes but I've decided not to. Too much trouble."

They reached the crew room.

"Do you want to visit your room first?" Ran asked.

Haru's mind exploded with what Ran might mean. Was he meant to have a shower? Or use the e-machine? Did Ran see things going that far?

"Forget I said that," Ran suggested, pulling him into his room and closing the door behind them.

The room looked the same as it always did. Ran hung his jacket on a hook and Haru put the box he was carrying on the shelf near the door before followed his example. Then he remembered the plaque and experienced a quick panic while he checked it was still there. Papa would not be happy if it was found on the floor somewhere.

It was still inside the pocket. Haru pulled it out, intending to put it on the shelf for now and transfer it to his lockbox tomorrow.

"Is that it?" Ran asked.

Haru hesitated but opened the lid and displayed the contents.

Ran stared at the plaque. There were a few long seconds of silence.

"For now it's for emergency use only," Haru assured him.

"It is difficult not to see it as a badge of ownership," Ran admitted. "Even though I know it is so much more than that."

To Haru it was the ultimate symbol of a love that transcended all boundaries and obstacles. He shut the box and went to place it on the shelf. "I don't think we should even think about it."

"Good idea," Ran agreed.

Ran took off his boots, belt and leather pants, so Haru followed suit. It left them in the underpants that Haku-san insisted all the crew wore under their leather uniform pants and the short, dark-blue vests the trainees wore in place of the mesh tops of the junior and senior crew.

The underpants were long to protect the leather, ending just above the knee, and were very close-fitting, because the adult crew had a tendency to wear their uniform pants tight. Haru could not help but think that Ran looked good in them.

"I'll make us some tea," Ran volunteered.

Haru didn't really want tea but he was content to lie on the bed and watch Ran prepare it.

Next thing he knew, someone was draping something over him. For a split moment he wondered if it was To-chan, but opening his eyes confirmed it was Ran.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine," Ran assured him. "Shift over."

He moved closer to the wall and Ran lay down beside him, pulling the cover over them both. He switched off the light and turned over so that his back was to Haru.

Haru snaked an arm around Ran's waist and pulled him close.

"I am not your plushie," Ran complained but he made no effort to move away.

"Better than a plushie," Haru declared, drifting contentedly back to sleep.

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...


	73. Signals

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, roro237, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Whispering-Softly, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, cynder81, Codydog, Drago Imperiali, LillyTigress, donalgraeme, melissen and cynder81 for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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**Story warning: This story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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Welcome to readers who usually read this story on another site. Heartfelt thanks to KatSaama, LEMMA, Mazy3261, rosemoon, Bree, reader, SunaoTsuji, Phoenixwolf, Tammy, satterb, toosweet05, esquisitpet, sadie237, eilidhdawn, DEATHinPINK, Lixx, melissen, redtatsu, Moonmoore, Anon, Silent Reader, R.e. , Sessha Batto, Destiny, pawtasu, LovelyBirdCherry, Anon, Kanazerosukenaru and disembodiedvoiceofthedying for reviewing or sending emails after chapter 72 was posted there.

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**Leader**

**Part 8: Clan**

**73: Signals**

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Madara rarely ate with them these days. Not since Konan had returned to Tarrasade. He tried not to think about her being sworn to Sasuke. When he did, the rage within him would surge and twist, making it difficult for him to maintain control.

He had invited her to swear to him before she had left for Skyburrow and she had declined.

However, he had given his word that he would be there this evening; Haku worn away his resolve, using words like 'senior Uchiha' and 'clan commitment'.

The vendetta was all but over. Pein was dead. Based on scraps of information he had gleaned, Madara was almost sure that they had Kabuto. Doubtless Orochimaru had escaped into stasis, leaving some mind-addled clone to fill his place in the Killing Square.

When would Sasuke Uchiha return to Tarrasade? Every day the media put him under more pressure to do so. Izuna had given countless interviews, each one casting more doubt on Sasuke Uchiha's suitability to lead the clan. In the latest one he had all but called him a coward.

They appeared to have no effect; Madara wondered if Sasuke even watched them.

He divided his time between his offices in Uchiha headquarters, his apartment in the household and various venues spread throughout Prime. For a certain part of each morning and each afternoon he tried to be here, in his office.

He checked the chronometer. It was time.

He moved to the glass wall, to the specific point where the meticulously designed interior lighting allowed a carefully placed observer to detect a silhouette through the one-way glass.

He positioned his body to give the routine signals: 'all is well'; 'no unscheduled contact required'.

That done, he looked across the square to the park beyond. All this would be his. It was only a matter of time. He had to be patient.

The huge tree in centre of the plaza reminded him of Shikamaru. He frowned. Would Centre ever act? Did they not believe that Shikamaru was a typed-seven? Or maybe they, like him, were waiting for Sasuke Uchiha and his advisors to return to Tarrasade.

"Will you be needing anything else, Izuna-sama?"

It was Ino. He did not turn around. "No, that will be all." He almost asked if Sakura was still there before remembering that it was her early afternoon.

He wondered what she did during her time off. She was probably in some beauty parlour; certainly she was always well turned out. Or shopping; she had a much larger wardrobe than Ino's.

Madara sighed; if he had started thinking about what the women around him wore, it was time to arrange another visit to the brothel.

He began reviewing his plans for the next few days only to be distracted by a creeping discomfort between his shoulder blades. He turned and, sure enough, Sumaru was waiting patiently in the doorway.

"Sumaru-kun," he acknowledged.

"I did not mean to disturb you, Izuna-sama. I was wondering if you had decided when you would be returning to your apartment."

It was not like Sumaru to ask. Izuna imagined him wishing to spend time with Moegi before the event Haku-san had planned. "I will be going directly from here to the gathering," he replied. He was doing Sumaru a favour in keeping him from the unsuitable female's company. "I hope that is not inconvenient for you."

Sumaru bowed. "Not at all, Izuna-sama. Is there a specific task you wish me to do?"

"No, Sumaru-kun. I am sure you can occupy yourself in a suitable fashion. Do you know what Haku-san has planned for this evening?"

"Not precisely, Izuna-san, but I know that he is very keen that we all should be there."

He tried again. "Your best guess, Sumaru-kun."

"I believe there will be a video from Skyburrow, Izuna-sama. Perhaps Sasuke-sama has also sent an announcement."

Madara was on the edge of reversing his decision to attend. However, the prospect of a development was too tempting. "Thank you, Sumaru-kun."

Sumaru withdrew, leaving him to think about Uchiha once he taken control. He would put the fox hybrids in stasis for Orochimaru; even the one with the tail might be useful for experiments. After disposing of the other hybrids, he would give the purebred members of Uchiha the opportunity of swearing personal loyalty to him.

Those who refused would be killed. The only exceptions would be the full blood Uchihas; they would receive at least a stay of execution

Perhaps the older three were not beyond hope; they were still young enough to be impressionable. On balance, he expected to have to dispose of Hikaru, who was the biggest potential danger to him. Then he would have to find a way of making the clever one, Haru, cooperate. That should not be too difficult; he was very fond of the empath and of his younger siblings.

Madara intended to marry the older girl. Given that she would turn fourteen soon, it was possible he would have his first full blood Uchiha son or daughter within a standard.

His greatest challenge would be dealing with the gap between killing Sasuke Uchiha and tightening his grip as clan leader. Too many of the current crew were sworn to Sasuke personally. If he did not move quickly and decisively they would get away, along with their detailed knowledge of Uchiha's strengths and weaknesses.

It was essential that he was fully prepared. All those who had agreed to fight for him, to be allies or members of his Uchiha, had to be in the Killing Square when he defeated Sasuke Uchiha.

He began reviewing his plans for that day, item by item; nothing must be left to chance.

A movement in the outer office; Sumaru. He was surprised to realise that it was time to leave.

As soon as they entered the household, Sumaru bowed and was gone. Doubtless he was off to apologise to the worthless female for his absence. Madara made a quick stop at his apartment to freshen up and then made his way to the crew room.

They were in the kitchen, as usual. It still rankled; kitchens were where food was prepared, preferably by cooks who did not expect to sit in the dining room with their betters to eat it.

At least he was at the head of the table.

His heart sank as he realised that the children were eating with them; either children were old enough to behave like miniature adults or they should be kept in the nursery. Of these three, only Mai, the small, female version of Haku, qualified; the boys were too boisterous.

The meal was simple; Madara's palate missed Choza's cooking but his digestion did not. At the end, Kisame cleared the table while Moegi made coffee and Kamatari tea.

"Would you prefer sake or whisky, Izuna-sama?" Gai asked.

He chose sake and Sumaru left the table to prepare it so that it would be exactly how he liked it. Once Sumaru had placed the small tray bearing the tokkuri and ochoko on the table, Haku served the sake perfectly.

He regretted that Haku was unlikely to survive; perhaps he would be able to keep Mai.

"We have a video from Skyburrow, Izuna-sama. It shows highlights of the big litter's birth anniversary celebrations and it will be followed by an announcement from Sasuke-sama."

Madara supposed that he would have to sit through the first to see the second.

He was distracted by grandeur of the hall so it was a moment before he realised that it was a ceremony rather than merely a celebration.

Then he sneered; Sasuke Uchiha would prefer to hold the most important ceremony in his children's lives in the back of beyond rather than face him.

All ten of them entered the hall together. They had grown. The four bigger fox hybrids were as tall as most adult males and the wolf hybrid was a good handbreadth taller. The full blood Uchiha boys were small, but that was to be expected; Uchiha males grew late.

He was pleased to see that the girl had grown into a young woman; once she was dressed appropriately she would be beautiful.

Then Haru and the fox hybrid with the tail stepped forward and swore to Sasuke Uchiha personally.

It was unexpected; Madara mind started working overtime. It put the boy out of his reach. He would be released from his commitments to the clan once Sasuke Uchiha was dead. On the other hand, it meant that his father was acknowledging that Haru would never challenge for the leadership.

It was the act of someone who had decided that defeat was inevitable.

He almost missed the girl swearing to Uchiha. That was odd. Why arrange for a son to be safe but not do so for a daughter?

However his pleasure outweighed his puzzlement; as she was sworn to Uchiha she would not be able to refuse him.

The boy, Hikaru, swore to Uchiha. So he was the one seen as the heir. Madara studied him. Maybe he could be useful but it was more likely he would meet his end on Izuna Uchiha's knife.

Madara went to take a sip of sake only for the ochoko to freeze between the table and his lips.

"_I Sasuke Uchiha, clan leader, declare and acknowledge that Kuuya Uchiha, my legally recognised son, is heir to the clan leadership."_

He watched as Sasuke Uchiha slid the heir's ring onto the fox hybrid's duty finger.

There was applause from the speakers and everyone around the table, save him, joined in.

It was all he could do to place the ochoko back on the table rather than launching it at the projector.

"Isn't that excellent news, Izuna-sama?" Haku was saying.

"It is... ...unexpected," he managed. He cast about for words that he could utter in front of the sharkman. "I did not think that an adopted son was eligible."

"Kuuya is not adopted," Itachi assured him. "He was recognised at birth. All the kits were. Only Ryuu is adopted."

"There is no requirement to be genetically an Uchiha?" he queried, stunned.

Haku smiled at him. "No. The part of the clan charter that deals with who is eligible for clan leadership is exactly as you wrote it, Izuna-sama."

How could Izuna have been so stupid and short-sighted?

"The concept of being genetically an Uchiha, or as we refer to them, full-blood Uchihas, only came in a century after you were lost, Izuna-sama," Itachi added with a concerned and helpful expression.

"Genetic testing was not available," Madara admitted. "A child being recognised at birth was a statement by the father that he believed the baby was genetically his son or daughter."

Itachi frowned slightly. "I can assure you that there is no requirement for a genetic relationship in the original charter or in any of the amendments."

He would check but he knew it was pointless. Making one of the fox hybrids the heir stank of something Shikamaru would come up with and he would have analysed every document in forensic detail.

He watched as the hybrids were given their knives. It reinforced that five of them had sworn to Uchiha. Even if he disposed of the red-haired one who had been declared heir, there were another four.

The truth was that even the small, feminine one would be inhumanly fast and superhumanly strong; he would not have a hope against any of them.

It was the end of his plan to challenge Sasuke Uchiha to hand-to-hand combat; it would be the equivalent of suicide.

The video ended. He pushed his chair back and prepared to stand. The sooner he returned to his apartment and began adjusting his plans, the better.

"You said that you wished to hear Sasuke-sama's announcement, Izuna-sama," Haku reminded him.

Madara settled back into his seat. "Was that not it, Haku-san?" he queried.

"I do not believe so, Izuna-sama," Haku replied.

It was only then that he realised that everyone's eyes had gone to the doorway behind his chair.

It was sinking in how thoroughly he had been played. The fox hybrids' fourteenth birth anniversary must have been days ago. Sasuke Uchiha was no longer hiding in Skyburrow, he was behind him.

Madara had no choice but to stand with the others and turn to face him.

The young man who had welcomed him into his family had gone. The dark eyes reminded him of the last time he and Izuna had met, after his brother had realised how thoroughly he had been betrayed.

He was waiting, flanked by the elder fox hybrid and the red-blond version that wore the heir's ring. Behind him were Shikamaru and Neji.

Madara had no choice other than to bow slightly. "Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke somehow managed an even shallower nod. "Izuna-sama."

Madara moved away from the table and gestured him to sit.

"Please take my place, Sasuke-sama; I was on my way to my rooms."

"If you could delay a moment, Izuna-sama," Sasuke replied. He moved his hands, giving the signal that indicated that he was speaking as clan leader. "Your presence will be required in the Killing Square at noon tomorrow..."

Madara held his breath; for a split second he thought that his true identity had been revealed.

"...to witness the end of the vendetta."

He breathed out slowly. The order was directed at everyone, not him alone.

He excused himself and began making his way back to his rooms. He was only halfway down the first corridor when Sumaru caught up with him.

He stopped.

Sumaru bowed, "Izuna-sama."

"What is it?" Madara asked. He needed to be alone.

"Sasuke-sama wishes you to know that the household is on high security alert but it will be acceptable for you to go to your office tomorrow morning provided I am with you."

That reduced his options; there would be no sneaking away from the household to avoid being in the Killing Square tomorrow.

Not that he would; Izuna Uchiha did not sneak.

"I understand, Sumaru-kun. You are dismissed."

As he walked to his rooms, he reminded himself that whilst resolving the situation with a knife-to-knife challenge had been appealing, it was not the only way forward.

There were many who would agree with him that idea of a hybrid as heir to the Uchiha clan was ridiculous. It was more evidence that Sasuke Uchiha was an unsuitable and inadequate leader.

It was the perfect reason for him to withdraw his tacit support and declare himself Uchiha-sama.

He was up early the next morning. By the time Sumaru arrived to escort him to Uchiha headquarters, he was ready.

It was a moment before he realised that the garments Sumaru was carrying were not any of those he had sent to the laundry. He looked at the uniform with undisguised distaste.

"Sasuke-sama has specified the version of uniform to be worn," Sumaru explained.

"I shall change into it later this morning," Madara replied. The net top would reduce further what he could carry with him. "Is there any other information about which I should be aware?"

"As there is a full security alert, it will be impossible for there to be any visitors to headquarters. Couriers will not be allowed access and electronic communications should be kept to a minimum."

Madara did not miss the scarcity of 'Izuna-samas' amongst Sumaru's words. There had been a time when he had hoped that the young man would see sense and transfer his loyalty but he had given up on that possibility many divs ago.

In that way, too, Sasuke Uchiha reminded him of his brother; he inspired irrational devotion in those around him.

"A sensible precaution," he acknowledged, keen to allay any suspicions Sumaru might be harbouring. "I am sure there still much useful work to be done."

Ino and Sakura were already there. They were watching the feeds from three of the local media channels; one showing news, one respected commentators and the third gossip.

As soon as they saw him, Sakura moved to deactivate the projectors.

"No," Madara insisted. "In fact, please activate the projectors in my office and link them to the same feeds."

Ino nodded and left to do so while Sakura made coffee.

It was clear that Tarrasade was abuzz with news and gossip about Uchiha. No one had missed that the Dart was moored at the Uchiha compound or that Elm and the Maple were headed for the docks. The more observant had noted that Tarrasade was suddenly rich with crews allied to Uchiha. Everyone was anticipating a showdown in the Killing Square; the traders and other non-spacers had already moved out.

Most of the commentators were expecting Izuna to challenge for the leadership; one channel had spliced together every snide or disparaging comment he had made about Sasuke Uchiha and kept playing it again and again.

A familiar name caught his attention. Shimon Hijiri; the journalist who had dared call him a fossil.

"_The talk of a challenge may be misguided. I do not believe that Sasuke Uchiha would risk all he has built on a knife fight and I cling to the hope that Izuna Uchiha will fulfil his reputation as a man of reason._ _I believe that today is more likely to be __about__ the vendetta that Uchiha has been pursuing against the Akatsuki."_

He was still working out if he had been insulted when Yukie Fujikaze appeared on one of the other channels. He turned the volume up.

"_Today I have the privilege of being the guest of Sasuke Uchiha and the delight of being able to interview him and his son Kuuya Uchiha, who has been recognised as heir to the leadership of the Uchiha clan."_

They switched camera and showed the two of them sitting in two chairs.

"_Uchiha-sama, Kuuya-san."_

Sasuke nodded and Kuuya murmured, "_Yukie-san,"_

Madara wondered if the interview was live. He doubted it. It must have been recorded yesterday or possibly this morning. Neji and Shikamaru had been busy.

After various trivial questions, the woman asked the only question that mattered.

"_How do you see your role as heir, Kuuya-san?"_

"_I shall do everything in my power to support my father's leadership. The truth is, I hope that I will never be clan leader. I want my father to continue building the new Uchiha for the next eighty standards, perhaps longer."_

It was a fiendishly clever answer; a reminder that not all heirs became leaders, particularly ones with such a short lifespan.

"_We understand that, Kuuya-san, but being heir means you have to be willing to step up," _the woman pushed.

"_I understand that. If it happened, I would do everything in my power to continue my father's work and hand on a strong and vibrant new Uchiha to my successor."_

"_And who do you imagine that would be, Kuuya-san?"_

Based on Sasuke Uchiha's expression, that was not an approved question. The camera zoomed in on the hybrid.

"_The most suitable person out of those who qualify," _he replied. _"The clan leadership is not a prize to be coveted. It is both a responsibility and a privilege. A leader is responsible for the clan's present and its future. He or she is privileged to serve the other members of the clan."_

Madara's irritation swelled; mealy-mouthed codswallop. He almost missed the next exchange.

"_He or she, Kuuya-san?" the woman queried._

The fox hybrid smiled. _"Of course, Yukie-san. Why not?"_

He almost threw his cup at the wall but managed to stop himself; the silk carpet was irreplaceable. The spilt coffee ran off his desk and onto his lap.

Sakura was there within a moment with a towel; she must have been watching him. She did a lot of that; Madara suspected that she was in love with him.

"Do you want me to ask Sumaru-san to fetch clean clothes for you, Izuna-sama?" she asked.

He checked the chronometer. "No, Sakura-chan. These will do for now."

The interruption was timely; he had been so obsessed with the media coverage that he had been unaware that it was almost time for his trip to the window.

This time the signal was anything but routine.

* * *

...


	74. Walk

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, LillyTigress, cynder81, melissen, roro237, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, donalgraeme and Drago Imperiali for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: minor character death.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 8: Clan**

**74: Walk**

* * *

Sasuke took a number of deep breaths to quell the adrenalin rush. After the better part of a standard waiting, it felt so good to be taking action.

They were about to walk the station. The only people missing were Izuna and Sumaru. If they did not arrive soon, Izuna-sama or not, Sasuke would send Gai and Kisame to get them.

Shikamaru and Neji were staying in the household, along with Kiba, Konan, Hana and the children, the rest of whom had arrived by shuttle from the Elm during the morning. Everyone else would walk, either from the docks or from the Uchiha compound.

"Update," he murmured, even though Neji had only spoken to him a few minutes before.

"_This is Neji. Everyone is ready. There is no need for anxiety, Sasuke-sama. The clock will not start running until you leave the household."_

Naruto was looking at him; he had heard Sasuke's side of the exchange. He twitched his whiskers and Sasuke gave a small nod in return.

Footsteps; Izuna and Sumaru rounded the corner. Izuna looked good in the less formal version of the uniform. Sasuke found himself wishing that things had been different; that he and Izuna had been able to find some common ground.

To his regret, it was not to be.

They formed up. Kisame and Itachi had point. Behind them were Haku and Moegi. Sasuke was next, flanked by Naruto and Kuuya. They were followed by Izuna and Sumaru and then Kamatari, Choza and Gai.

He asked for a channel to Kakashi and then drew his knife.

"Uchiha walks. In the cold of space..."

There was the sound of a dozen knives leaving their scabbards. Thirteen blades pointed upwards. "...you find the heat of suns. We walk."

Kazuki was on Haru's right and Hoshi on his left. Beside Hoshi was Yuki. In front of them were Yoshimi, Yasushi and Ran. Behind them were Hikaru, Ryuu and Keizo. They would be in the middle, because that was where spacers placed their cats.

Before them in the marching order were Tatsuji, Hamaki and Konohamaru with Kabuto. After them were Terai, Fu and Inari with Orochimaru.

Orochimaru had yelled about being allowed to speak to Papa, but Kakashi-san had threatened to gag him and he had shut up.

* * *

Haru wished he could see more; he may have grown a handbreadth over the last standard but he was still shorter than everyone but Ryuka.

Then people stopped shuffling about and came to attention. Haru followed suit. Something was about to happen.

Kakashi-san's head appeared above the others; he must have stepped up on a box or something. There was silence. Haru heard the sound of a knife being drawn and then saw the flash of Kakashi-san's blade.

"Uchiha walks! In the cold of space..."

Thirty-five other blades were thrust upwards. "...you find the heat of suns. We walk!"

Haru concentrated on matching his pace to those around him. Occasionally, as they would pass the mouth of a corridor and he would glimpse an Uchiha allied crew, sometimes more than one, waiting to follow them. Others were already at the Killing Square.

The Maple had brought in six, the Elm four and many more had arrived independently. The latest count had shown forty-eight in the Tarrasade system.

Then there were the USF squads that were placed at strategic points; there were enough of them to subdue a riot.

This time Shi-chan had planned for every eventuality.

* * *

Shikamaru and Neji had set up one of the meeting rooms in the household. They were surrounded by projected images and interfaces. Shikamaru even had three microphones that were hardwired in; one to the station gunners, one to the harbourmaster's office and the other to station security.

It was hard to put out of his head what had happened when Uchiha had walked the station for Deidara's execution.

"You all right?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru nodded. He checked the radio channels. This time there had been no talk of tradition. Each member of Uchiha out there was wearing an earpiece and a tracker. There were flyers deployed along the entire route. In addition, he was in contact with every USF squad leader and each captain of an allied crew.

He wasn't taking any chances.

Neji's eyes were fixed on the display showing the progress of the two groups. Shikamaru saw him open Kakashi's channel.

"This is Neji. Can you speed up a little, Kakashi-san? If not, I can ask Sasuke-sama to slow down."

"_This is Kakashi. Speeding up. All is good."_

Shikamaru watched the two groups of dots headed towards the Killing Square. He thought for a moment and then turned Sasuke's tracker blue and Izuna's red.

He switched his attention to the images being transmitted by the flyers on the ceiling above the Killing Square. The challenge had been how to maintain some control of the situation when the square itself was a no-go area to the USF and other non-spacers.

His answer had been to use the allied crews. They had responded magnificently and were now doing exactly as he had requested, forming cordons so that Uchiha would have unhampered access from the corridors to the central killing zone.

Content that everyone was doing as he had asked, he launched his facial recognition programme; intent on scanning the crowd for potential enemies.

* * *

By the time they entered the square, Madara had grudgingly admitted to being impressed. The crew walked well and the sheer number of other crews wearing the Uchiha symbol was unexpected.

He had never bothered much with Sasuke Uchiha's idea of affiliated and allied crews; an individual was either sworn to Uchiha or he was not. In person they proved to be a motley lot but they were here, wearing the Uchiha symbol with pride and obviously loyal to their leader.

Not that they were all people; the closer they got to their destination, the more hybrids he saw. Standing at the line marking the boundary of the killing zone was a huge dog-human hybrid.

"Captain Bull," Sasuke acknowledged.

The massive brute gave a deep bark and a tiny companion beside him bowed. "Uchiha-sama."

It was sinking in that, fox hybrid heir or not, this would have never been an occasion to challenge.

Once standing among the crew within the killing zone, he scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Not every spacer lining the boundary wore the Uchiha symbol.

He spotted Kimimaro and relaxed slightly. It was working out as planned.

The rest of the crew was entering the square from the other side, led by Kakashi. Madara watched, tense, as they spread out.

They had Kabuto, as expected. He craned his neck while trying to look as if he was not. Yes, they had an Orochimaru.

It would be a clone. It would either have a mindnet, whereupon Sasuke would know that killing it was merely a show, or not, whereupon he might believe he had the original.

Those arriving took up their positions. Both prisoners were chained and each was guarded by two elite fighters. Madara watched as they were each forced to their knees.

Then, briefly, he made eye contact with Orochimaru.

Madara's gut twisted. His head was still telling him that it had to be a clone while his body reacted to seeing the man he had known so well for so long.

How had Uchiha captured him? When had Orochimaru become so careless?

Then reality dawned. Orochimaru wanted to live forever. If he had not already offered up Madara's true identity, he would.

He forced himself to be calm. They did not know. There was no fresh hatred in the eyes of those around him. Sumaru was not staying especially close. There was no indication that they intended to announce his identity, drag him to the centre of the square and execute him.

He had a choice to make; either he slipped away or he stood his ground and risked being unmasked.

* * *

The facial recognition programme required a face-front image, either taken directly or cobbled together. Given the density of the crowd and the position of the flyers, Shikamaru had begun wondering if it was going to work.

Then, suddenly, six profiles were projected at the side of the room.

He had set the filters so that it would discard anyone recognised as aligned or allied to Uchiha. Others were being added to the list at a position that reflected the risk they represented.

Top at the moment was a white-haired, purple-eyed male named Suigetsu; a known associate of Kabuto.

As Shikamaru watched, a new profile was introduced at position two. It was Kurotsuchi; the woman who had briefly seized power in the Warren and then vanished rather than face the residents' wrath. Her presence opened new lines of thought that Shikamaru could not focus on at this time; he re-routed them into deeper layers of his mind.

"Kurotsuchi is a prominent member of the Anti Hybrid Brigade," Neji observed. "The AHB would much prefer to see Izuna-sama rather than Sasuke-sama leading Uchiha. They may have anticipated a leadership challenge."

Shikamaru scanned the crowd for people wearing AHB colours. He could not see anyone, which was hardly surprising given the strong hybrid presence and the preponderance of HDL blue.

If Kurotsuchi had begun the day wearing any token declaring her allegiance, she had bowed to her survival instincts and removed it.

Everyone was in position. The prisoners were on their knees. Sasuke stepped forward to address the crowd.

"Shit!" Neji exclaimed.

Shikamaru stared at him; shocked. Neji never used bad language.

Neji pointed at the list. Shikamaru looked. A new profile had appeared at the top; Kimimaro. Neji was already opening a channel to Kakashi.

"This is Neji. Be aware, we have identified Kimimaro in the crowd. I repeat, we have identified Kimimaro." He cut the link. "Can Naruto defeat him?"

Shikamaru's heart was pounding. They had been thinking so much about Izuna that they had not considered the possibility that anyone else would challenge Sasuke.

"I don't know," he admitted.

* * *

Haru could see more after they had spread out and taken up their positions. The prisoners were on their knees. Papa had stepped forward. The crowd had fallen silent.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha," he began.

There was a huge, spine-tingling roar of approval. Haru had not expected it. He did not think Papa had expected it. He doubted that even Shi-chan had expected it.

It was a life-changing moment. Haru now understood, deep down, that Uchiha was not only those inside the boundary but many of those in the crowd beyond and in all the other allied crews. Papa had offered thousands of ordinary crews the ways and the means to make themselves exceptional. He had believed in them and over two hundred of them had responded by becoming extraordinary.

They had become part of the new Uchiha.

Papa raised his hand and the crowd fell silent.

"We, Uchiha, declared a vendetta against the Akatsuki, Our reasons are published and known. Three men were named. Pein is dead. This man..." He pointed to Orochimaru. "...poisoned him."

Haru knew why Papa was mentioning it. Poison was not a spacer's weapon. Poison was underhanded and dishonourable.

"This is Kabuto. This is Orochimaru. They were not delivered to us. We, the core of Uchiha working with the allied crews, captured them. Good people, loyal crews, were lost doing so.

"We honour them. We sing their song."

It was unexpected. Surely if a song had been planned they would have practiced it? Haru looked about and saw carefully disguised surprise on many of the others' faces.

Then Papa sang and it wasn't one of the old Uchiha anthems. It was not about honour or duty or even about sacrifice. His choice was the lullaby* that he had sung to Haru and his siblings since before they could understand the words.

Goodnight,  
goodnight  
to friends in space  
and those on ships  
that interlace  
with suns and moons  
across the seas  
of light that rim  
our galaxies.

Goodnight,  
goodnight  
to all who fly  
and those who seek  
worlds in the sky  
from those united  
under red and blue  
a long and peaceful  
calm to you.

There was a moment of utter silence as the last note died away. Then the chanting started with "Sasuke Uchiha!" and "Uchiha-sama!" before it became a single word repeated again and again: "Uchiha! Uchiha! Uchiha!"

Haru wondered if it would ever stop but when Papa drew his blade and held it up, angling it to catch the light. The silence was swift and deep.

"Today the vendetta ends," he declared.

Papa moved towards Kabuto and, before Haru could appreciate what was happening, there was blood spurting. It splattered across the floor and coalesced into pools.

It was a much brighter red than Haru had expected and there were more spurts, each weaker than the one before.

Kabuto died.

There was a soft thud as Papa let go and the body fell to the floor. Then Papa moved towards Orochimaru, who had started talking.

"Be reasonable, Uchiha-sama. You are blaming me for the acts of my clones. They were not me."

Papa took a fistful of black hair and exposed the long, white neck but he chose to respond. "You are responsible for their actions."

He raised the knife.

Then Orochimaru shouted. "I can destroy Izuna Uchiha."

* * *

Madara did not understand why they followed Sasuke Uchiha. He had sung them a lullaby and yet they had responded as if it were a battle cry

However, he had to admit that the atmosphere was electric. All eyes were fixed on Sasuke; even Sumaru's.

He drifted gradually backwards, taking himself out of Sumaru's peripheral vision. While Kabuto was being dispatched, he slowly removed his bracelets and dropped into their place the ones that had been around his forearms. When Sasuke moved on to Orochimaru, he removed his earrings and replaced them with clips from his pocket.

As each second came and went he expected Orochimaru to betray him. He was still this side of the boundary when the first words came.

To his immense relief they were irrelevant.

He was across the line. Kimimaro pulled off his hooded cloak, displaying the tags that matched Madara's bracelets and earclips.

Then he heard it; "I can destroy Izuna Uchiha."

Time slowed. Madara saw the expression on Sasuke's face. He either was not listening or did not care.

The knife descended in a graceful arc, slashing the long, pale throat. Madara watched as disbelief gave way to terror and then confusion in Orochimaru's eyes.

He watched the one person who knew his secret die.

Sumaru was moving towards them with Gai and Choza following. His eyes went to Kimimaro and, to Madara's surprise, blazed with hatred.

He had not known that Sumaru and Kimimaro had history between them. He glanced sideways at Kimimaro, who was smiling slightly; he wanted Sumaru to challenge him.

"You have duties," Madara reminded him, annoyed that such a reminder was necessary.

"Yes, Uchiha-sama," Kimimaro replied. He stared directly at Sumaru and spoke loudly. "Do you want me to challenge the usurper and kill the fox hybrid?"

The words incensed Sumaru. Madara guessed that only Gai's hand on his arm restrained him.

There was a faint hiss from his earpiece; an incoming communication.

"_This is Neji, relaying Sasuke-sama's orders. Izuna-sama is free to leave. I repeat, Izuna-sama is free to leave."_

The words wiped all expression from Sumaru's face. He shook Gai's hand off his arm, turned his back and resumed his position.

Gai and Choza followed his example.

For some reason Madara did not understand, it bothered him.

He could not resist one last look in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke was looking directly at him. They made eye contact and then Sasuke deliberately turned away.

It hurt; like being rejected by his brother all over again. Madara did what he always did when he felt vulnerable; he released a small measure of the anger he kept contained deep within.

It washed away all other emotions, leaving only ingrained resentment and slow-burning rage.

* * *

Sasuke had just finished watching Orochimaru die when Neji spoke.

"_This is Neji. Apologies, Sasuke-sama, but this will not wait. Izuna has moved across the boundary. He has Kimimaro with him as bodyguard. There are three likely outcomes. He will leave, he will challenge you for the leadership or Kimimaro will issue a personal challenge to you."_

He stiffened; Naruto was less likely to defeat Kimimaro than he was to win against Izuna.

"_Shika says that the best option is for him to leave. May I relay an order from you for everyone to allow it? I would use an open channel so that Izuna would hear."_

Shikamaru and Neji would have discussed the situation while he had been dealing with Kabuto and Orochimaru. There no time to recapitulate the arguments. He moved his left hand, confirming the order.

He allowed Orochimaru's body to fall to the floor and moved back to the centre of the square while Neji relayed the order.

Sumaru and Kimimaro were face-to-face across the boundary. For a moment Sasuke wondered if Sumaru would obey but he turned away and returned to his place, followed by Gai and Choza.

Izuna was looking directly at him. Sasuke no longer cared what he wanted. Either he would challenge or he would not; Sasuke had a ritual to complete.

He turned away and moved into position. Naruto was to his left, as befitted a lover rather than bodyguard. Kakashi was to his right.

The Voice in his Ear spoke. _"This is Shikamaru. Izuna and Kimimaro are leaving."_

Sasuke took a deep breath. It was a good day not to die.

He thrust the bloody knife upwards. "In the cold of space..."

There was the sound of knives being drawn and the flash of blades being raised. Hundreds of voices responded, "...you find the heat of suns."

Then the chanting began.

"Uchiha! Uchiha! Uchiha! Uchiha!"

* * *

_..._

* * *

_Acknowledgement_

*_Lullaby_ by Sarah Wilson - from Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Blast Off! Poems About Space. NY: Harper Collins, 1995 – found on the interest – apologies to the author for the changes to make it more appropriate

* * *

...


	75. Itch

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, LillyTigress, cynder81, Drago Imperiali, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, donalgraeme, melissen and roro237 for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

The recent reviews and other feedback has really helped me. **Thank you!**

* * *

_Author's note: For those who feel they need a recap about the characters who have crawled out the woodwork, I have added some notes at the bottom._

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 8: Clan**

**75:**** Itch**

* * *

Sasuke made the mistake of letting go as soon as they crossed the threshold into the household. Immediately he was light-headed and his legs felt as if they belonged to someone else.

He could not give out yet. They had to dispose of the bodies. There were over fifty allied crews in Tarrasade that deserved his recognition and attention. Most importantly, the first time his adolescent children had seen people die had been when he was slitting their throats.

He glanced across at Haru, who looked worryingly pale.

As if he had read his mind, Naruto was over there, moving among them. Sasuke watched him stroking Haru's back and having comforting words with the others.

A hand on his arm; Asuma's.

"You concentrate on the youngsters, Sasuke-sama. Kakashi, Kisame, Itachi and I have everything else in hand."

"The allied crews?"

"Each of the captains knows about the reception tomorrow. We've arranged an allowance in the bars and the brothels for today. The USF have talked it through with the station authorities and the plan is to contain and manage rather than control."

"Bodies?"

"Already on their way to the infirmary for storage."

Asuma's confidence was reassuring. "Thank you, Asuma-san. I leave it in your hands."

Next Haku was behind him, lifting his jacket from his shoulders.

"I'll see to this, Sasuke-sama."

He had managed to direct the blood onto the floor but some had run down from the knife onto his sleeve. "Thank you, Haku-san."

"Iruka-san is suggesting that we congregate in the kitchen," Haku informed him. "I expect he will wish to make us tea and Choza-san will attempt to feed us."

Sasuke was not sure he could face food but a cup of tea would be welcome.

Then Naruto's hand was on his back, warm through the gaps in his mesh shirt. He glanced over to the youngsters. Haku was directing them to the kitchen. Ran had his arm around Haru's waist under his jacket.

"They are fine, teme. Let's get you cleaned up."

Sasuke looked down at the dried blood and nodded.

Once they reached the crew room, Naruto took him through to their bathroom and washed his hand and arm. Sasuke let him. It felt good.

"We could stay here for a bit," Naruto suggested.

It was tempting. "No. I should be in the kitchen with the others."

Blue eyes shone with approval.

"Maybe you could persuade Kiba to let the children join us," Sasuke suggested. "I know it would be disrupting their routine, but..."

Naruto was out the door before he finished speaking.

He found another jacket, most people would still be in uniform, and made his way to the kitchen. The younger senior crew, what Sasuke thought of as Inari's generation, was at one end of the table, and the youngsters were at the other. Older members of the crew occupied the gap between them.

He forestalled all the offers to take someone else's place by sitting down quickly. He picked out various people for a look of approval or a quick word of reassurance: Kotetsu and Izumo, for whom the more ruthless rituals of spacer life were so alien; Rin, who had chosen to leave her daughter in Kiba's care to walk the station with her crew; Hoshi, whose eyes told him she was wondering if she had it in her to kill a person like that; Sumaru, who had become Izuna's bodyguard believing it to be an honour and served perfectly for over two standards despite his disappointment.

He was with Moegi, Konohamaru, Kamatari, Tayuya and Inari up one end of the table. It looked like Konohamaru and Kamatari were teasing him, which Naruto insisted did Sumaru good.

Iruka poured him some tea. Sasuke thanked him and took a sip. It tasted good. Choza was loading the counter at the side with bread, cheese and fruit. The hybrid youngsters were following in his wake, filling plates to take back to the table.

Then Naruto arrived with Kiba and the children. Behind them were Konan and Hana, who was carrying Aiko. Even at only five divs, she was a lively little thing; more like Haru at that age than any of the other purebred babies had been.

Sasuke was suddenly and acutely aware that he had just killed her genetic father. It was an odd thought but it only lasted for a moment; Tsuneo had lots to tell him about what he, Shou and Nagato had been doing.

He was half-listening to the rules of their latest game when he spotted Sumiko. She was standing with a small frown on her face.

It was only then that he realised that Shikamaru and Neji were missing.

Naruto had followed his line of sight and his train of thought. "They are probably finishing up," he suggested. "Do you want me to go and check?"

Sasuke shook his head. They were both needed here. He beckoned Sumiko over.

"Can you do me a favour, Sumiko-chan? Can you go to the big meeting room and tell your Nii-san and Neji-san that we are all in the kitchen having tea?"

Sumiko gave one of her rare smiles. "I can do that, Sasuke-sama. I shall go right now."

* * *

Shikamaru had jumped at Neji's offer that he should be the one to tell Sasuke that Izuna was leaving the Killing Square. They had survived without losing Sasuke on Izuna's blade or Naruto on Kimimaro's. The allied crews had stepped up and given a magnificent demonstration of their loyalty, searing an image of the new Uchiha into Tarrasade's consciousness.

It was a good day.

So why did he feel like this? Why did he have an itch in the middle of his back, between his shoulder blades? It was the one that he got when one of the deeper layers of his mind was telling his body that something bad was going to happen.

What had his conscious mind overlooked?

Why did he keep thinking about the Warren?

"Shika?"

He realised that Neji had probably been talking to him for some time.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked.

"I have to think," Shikamaru replied. What had triggered his discomfort? Identifying Kimimaro? No, that had made it worse but it had started before that. Identifying Kurotsuchi?

Yes, the trigger had been when Kurotsuchi's name had appeared on the list.

He constructed a query looking for links between the events that had just occurred and the Warren. At the last moment, he added the HDF and the AHB.

As soon as he set it running, the answer came to him. He did not have wait for the results. It was Tennyo Three. She had used the Sakura persona in the Warren, when she helped evacuate the hybrids.

Would Kurotsuchi or Kimimaro recognise her? It was a distinct possibility. How many pink-haired, emerald-eyed women called Sakura were there?

If they did, Izuna would start asking questions.

He would, as Chaaruzu-san, contact her and warn her.

He had expected the decision to get rid of the itch. It didn't. He moved onto thinking about when to warn her and the itch subsided.

It vanished as soon as he considered contacting her now, without delay.

Why was it so urgent? His mind exploded with possibilities. The worst was that Izuna had known that Sakura was a spy for days, perhaps longer, but was waiting to see how events in the Killing Square played out before taking action.

Shikamaru imagined what Izuna might do to her and shuddered.

At this time of day she should be in Izuna's office, working. He linked through the control room to the Uchiha headquarters main reception. Usually a lady with a pleasant voice answered immediately, inquiring what the caller wanted.

Not this time; he thought he heard breathing but he might have imagined it.

"This is the Uchiha household," he tried, including the appropriate security code via the interface he was using. "Please put me through to Izuna Uchiha's office."

There was a pause and then a male voice answered. _"This is Uchiha headquarters. Izuna-sama's offices are closed today."_

At first he was relieved. Maybe Izuna had given Sakura and Ino the day off. If so, Sakura would pick up a message from Chaaruzu-san before she saw Izuna again.

He began asking if he could speak with Sakura-san when, without warning, the link was broken from the other end. That was not right. The itch was back.

Was Sakura at Uchiha headquarters or not? He decided to check the entrance and exit logs, which would be easy given that he had written the security system.

"Shika?" Neji's tone was insistent.

"I am worried about Sakura-san," he admitted. "I think Kimimaro or Kurotsuchi or one of the people with them might recognise her from the Warren."

"Izuna knows she was in the Warren?" Neji checked.

"Yes, but he doesn't know that she coordinated the couriers who ran messages throughout the evacuation. Doing that is not consistent with the person who is his personal assistant."

The logs had Sakura arriving but not leaving. Why had the man told him that Izuna's office was closed if Sakura was present? Why hadn't he been put through?

The itch was almost unbearable.

He wished that he, as Chaaruzu-san, had given her a panic button and access to a back-up team. Not doing so was his error; his responsibility.

"What are you going to do?" Neji queried.

An answer suggested itself immediately; use his knowledge of the security systems to make his way undetected to Uchiha headquarters and find out what was happening.

Only he couldn't tell Neji that.

"The person who answered said that Izuna's office is closed," he replied.

"That makes sense. He knew he was not going to be there. We will talk to Sasuke when he gets back," Neji proposed.

"I suppose so," Shikamaru replied.

He knew he had to sit there for at least a few minutes, or Neji would be suspicious. He checked the display showing the crew's progress. They weren't even out of Level 3; given the crowds it could be the better part of forty minutes before they reached the household.

There was no sign of Izuna; he had ditched or destroyed the tracker.

The itch had lessened as soon as he had made the decision to go and look for Sakura. Now it was back and getting worse again.

He lasted three minutes and then stood up. "Can you manage on your own for a bit? I need the head and I thought I would check on Su-chan."

Neji nodded. "Good idea. If I need you, I'll use the intercom."

Shikamaru walked until the doors closed behind him and then set off at a run.

He pulled the schematic for the compound from some little-used corner of his mind and plotted a route to Izuna's offices that, as far as possible, avoided the corridors.

Having an override code for every door and hatch got him into the headquarters and up to the storey that Izuna had appropriated. Once there, he discovered that the security settings on the doors had been reset; some even had mechanical locks.

It slowed him down a little but not much. No one had thought to reset the locks on the maintenance hatches.

He emerged from a storage closet into the corridor just outside Izuna's office, well clear of the security desk.

The door slid open as he approached. He walked into the outer office. It was empty and for a moment he thought she was not there.

He began imagining Kurotsuchi denouncing Sakura as a spy and Izuna's reaction.

"Shikamaru-san." The voice was bright and welcoming. "How can I help you?"

It was her: Tennyo Three in her Sakura persona. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. Then he realised that he had no idea what to say. She did not know that he was Chaaruzu-san and he did not wish to tell her.

"Do you know what has happened in the Killing Square?" he began.

Sakura laughed and coloured slightly; the perfect reaction of a skilled personal assistant caught doing something slightly unprofessional. She moved towards what he knew to be a meeting room, causing the door to slide open. "I confess we have been monitoring the developments."

Inside were six small leather cases and a woman whom he recognised as Ino. She was leaning back in her chair, her feet up on the table, drinking coffee and watching the media coverage.

Shikamaru had never seen longer or more attractive legs. For a moment it was difficult to think about anything else.

Then they were gone, tucked away under the chair as Ino sat up.

"Shikamaru-san, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

It was the kind of greeting that bounced about Shikamaru's mind sparking all manner of thoughts, which was not helpful. He tried to marshal a coherent argument.

"I thought you should know that Sumaru-san is no longer Izuna-sama's bodyguard. In fact, we doubt that Izuna-sama will be returning to the Uchiha household."

Neither of them said anything. They were both studying him, which was not surprising given that one was a highly trained operative and the other was an ex-Sister.

"His new bodyguard is a man called Kimimaro. Uchiha has had dealings with him in the past. He was a prominent member of the AHB during the attempted hybrid purge in the Warren. We believe he was an active member of an AHB murder squad."

Emerald and sapphire eyes continued to gaze at him.

"I thought you should know," he concluded, lamely.

Ino gestured him towards a chair, which he took.

"Izuna-sama left instructions to pack up certain things." She indicated the leather cases. "We are meant to be on our way to a rendezvous with them."

Shikamaru stared at the cases. Sakura must not go; she must not meet with Izuna away from the relative safety of the Uchiha compound. "You are still here," he pointed out.

"Yes, because I have no intention of going. My letter of resignation is the first thing Izuna Uchiha will find when he opens this case." She tapped a slim documents case with a beautifully manicured finger. "However, I am struggling to persuade Sakura-san to follow my example."

Shikamaru knew why. Tennyo Three had a mission. He wished that he, as Chaaruzu-san, had sent her more detailed instructions. He cast about for a way to convince her of the danger she was in.

"It isn't only Kimimaro. We have evidence that there are a number of prominent members of the AHB in Tarrasade, people we came to know when Uchiha evacuated the hybrids from the Warren. You were there, Sakura-san, you know what the worst of those people were like. We have even seen Kurotsuchi."

Finally something that he said hit home; Sakura paled slightly and, for the first time, there was uncertainty in her eyes.

"Kurotsuchi?" Ino queried.

Shikamaru waited.

"She wants to kill every hybrid," Sakura admitted, "and she'll do anything to achieve it."

There was silence.

"Even if you won't resign, don't keep the rendezvous," Ino suggested. "Put in a note saying that Uchiha detained you."

To Shikamaru's relief, Sakura nodded. "That might be wise. Izuna-sama can always contact me through the Stellar Exchange. What about the cases? Should we say that Uchiha kept them too?"

"I do not think Sasuke-sama would want that," Shikamaru admitted. "Izuna-sama is still a senior Uchiha who should be treated with respect."

Ino made a sound that was suspiciously like a snort. "He is a power-hungry fossil who uses the concepts of honour and duty rather than living them." She saw his shock and pointed at the document case. "I have resigned. What about the cases?"

"I'll arrange for them to be taken by courier," Shikamaru assured them.

He moved towards the door, intending the use the interface on Sumaru's desk. As it began to slide open, he spotted a USF guard entering the outer office from the corridor.

He was yanked backwards and thrust under the table. For a purebred, Ino could move remarkably fast and was surprisingly strong.

He resolved to be small and silent.

"Gentlemen," Ino acknowledged as the door to the meeting room opened again.

Shikamaru counted six pairs of uniformed legs.

"Ino-san," one of the men responded. "Izuna-sama has been in contact. He is worried because you and Sakura-san have not kept the rendezvous."

"We will not be able to make it," Ino replied. "Feel free to take the cases."

There was a short silence.

"Izuna-sama is expecting you and Sakura-san at the rendezvous," the man insisted. "You will accompany us there."

"No," Ino replied.

One pair of uniformed legs closed on Ino's stockinged ones. Shikamaru watched as she stamped on his foot, driving her stiletto heel through his boot. She then yanked out the bloodied spike, stepped back and kicked upwards with the other foot.

Given the sound he made and the way he dropped to the floor clutching his groin, Shikamaru deduced she had scored a direct hit.

"Anyone else?" she challenged.

"Don't be difficult, Ino-san." It was the same man who had spoken before.

Even from under the table, Shikamaru could see that Ino had gone very still; the usual response when your opponent drew a gun.

There was a masculine yelp of pain. A laser pistol dropped to the floor and skidded under the table. Shikamaru risked kicking it towards Ino, who swept it up.

"You heard Ino-san." It was Sakura. "I suggest you take your wounded and the cases while there are still enough of you to carry both."

"Be reason..."

A laser hit one of the boots Shikamaru could see. There was a muffled shriek of pain and some hopping.

"I am being reasonable," Sakura informed them. "Very reasonable. My reasonableness is wearing very thin. Last chance before Ino-san and I find out which of us is the best shot by aiming at your vitals. Take the cases and him."

Shikamaru guessed she meant the man still writhing on the floor.

There was a risky moment when two of the men leaned down to lift up their colleague but Shikamaru stayed very still and neither of them noticed him. Then they were on their way.

Ino watched them from the outer office, making sure they entered the elevator.

"Do you want to give the front desk instructions to stop them?" Sakura asked, peering under the table.

"No." Shikamaru crawled out. "Neither of you have the authority to do that, so if it happens it will look suspicious."

Ino came back into the room. "Nice pistol," she observed. "I would have sworn it was just a pen."

Sakura twirled the slim, pen-shaped object between her fingers. "A girl can never be too careful."

* * *

Sumiko returned with Neji. Sasuke stared at the door, expecting Shikamaru to follow them in.

Neji looked up and down the table.

"Where's Shika?" he asked. "He said he was going to the playroom."

Kiba heard and looked towards them, frowning. "I haven't seen him since breakfast."

Neji went completely white. "The idiot. He said he would wait until you arrived and discuss it with you."

Sasuke was out of his seat. He pulled Neji into the crew room. "Discuss what with me?"

"He was worried about Sakura-san."

Naruto joined them. "Where do you think he may have gone?"

"Uchiha headquarters. Izuna-sama's offices," Neji replied. He bit his lip, which for Neji was the equivalent of hysterical screaming. "Sasuke-sama, we allowed Izuna-sama to recruit anyone he wished provided they passed a basic security check."

Asuma, Kakashi and the other old Uchiha elite fighters were still busy elsewhere and the situation would not wait. Sasuke went back to the doorway to the kitchen.

"Sumaru-san, with me. Konohamaru-san and Kamatari-san, find out what is happening at Uchiha headquarters. Start by contacting your most trustworthy people. Shino-san, get us all in contact by radio."

Within a minute, he was running down the corridor, flanked by Sumaru and Naruto.

Kazuki caught up with them as Sumaru was opening the second of the three security doors that linked the household to Uchiha Headquarters. He threw three radios to Naruto and then stood there, ears pricked and whiskers arched.

"Go back to the others," Sasuke ordered. "If this turns out to be more than what it seems, I want you with Haru."

He nodded and was gone.

Naruto activated Sasuke's radio and attached it to his belt. Sasuke clipped the microphone to his jacket.

"This is Sasuke. Report."

"_This is Konohamaru. __The elevators are not working. I suspect sabotage. Also it appears that the security settings have been changed on Izuna-sama's level of the building, so only his people have access from the stairwells."_

Sasuke noted that there were Izuna's people, which was worrying. His gut twisted. The more he heard, the less he liked it.

Sumaru had the third door open and Naruto was through it and confronting the guard.

"Which way did Shikamaru-san go?" he demanded.

The poor man looked terrified. Sasuke put a calming hand on Naruto's arm. "It is urgent," he emphasised.

"I have not seen him, Uchiha-sama," the man insisted. He checked. "There is no record of him entering the building."

"Back routes," Naruto suggested.

That would be typical of Shika.

"Stairs," Naruto proposed.

"Go ahead," Sasuke directed. "Sumaru will stay with me."

"No," disagreed Sumaru. "All this could be a trap. You must not be separated from Naruto-san. Our tags do not match."

It was an excellent point. They would have to proceed at Sasuke's top speed.

It was eight flights of stairs to Izuna's level. Sasuke was grateful that he had been training so hard.

He expected the door to be a problem, but it offered Naruto only token resistance,

They jumped over the debris and started running down the corridor beyond.

The security desk was unmanned. Sasuke did not have time to decide if that was a good or a bad thing before they were approaching the outer doors of Izuna's personal offices.

The doors opened and Sumaru only just managed to avoid colliding with Sakura, who was carrying a tray.

Sasuke would not have stopped in time if it had not been for Naruto's arm across his chest.

She smiled at them as if having three men charge into the office was an ordinary, everyday event. "Uchiha-sama, Naruto-san, Sumaru-san, how pleasant. Please come through."

She led the way through another set of doors. In the room beyond were Shikamaru and a younger, female version of Inoichi. They were sitting at the table as if nothing was amiss.

For a few moments there was only the sound of his laboured breathing, which was embarrassing.

"I shall get some more tea," Sakura declared brightly. "May I get you some water, Uchiha-sama?"

He was going to kill Shikamaru.

* * *

_..._

* * *

_Author's note:_

_**Kimimaro**_

_First appeared in 'In the cold of space you find the heat of suns'. He was a 'ring fighter' on Jewel and, along with Lee, was one of the three young men picked up by Kabuto's men as test subjects for the symbiote that he had acquired when he raided the Oak._

_When Uchiha took back what had been taken, they took responsibility for the two survivors, Lee and Kimimaro, who were dying slowly despite being tanked. Rin, with Shikamaru's assistance, finally managed to cure them. Kimimaro lived as a guest in the household but his hatred for hybrids meant he would never stay._

_Kimimaro then went back to Kabuto and Orochimaru, who worked out how he could activate the symbiote._

_During 'Iteration', in the arc about the Warren, Kimimaro was meant to be working for Orochimaru but was out of control, a leading member of the AHB (Anti Hybrid Brigade) and an active member of the murder squads who went through the lower levels of the Warren slaughtering hybrids. When the AHB attacked the spacer quarter of the Warren, intending to stop the evacuation of the hybrids, Kimimaro got through the blockade and was hunted down by Lee and Gaara, who thought they had killed him._

_Obviously they had not, as he is back._

_Sumaru loathes Kimimaro as he considers having the symbiote as a great honour and Kimimaro murders innocents._

_**Kurotsuchi**_

_Appeared in Iteration. She was the political leader in the Warren who most wanted the hybrids eliminated. She believes that the end justifies the means and considers most people disposable. She was mayor of the Warren for a short time during the crisis but vanished when he lost control. She is still prominent in the AHB._

_**Suigetsu**_

_Appears briefly in Iteration as one of Kabuto's people. Is a very wary associate of Kimimaro._

* * *

...

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	76. Guests

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, LillyTigress, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, donalgraeme, melissen, Drago Imperiali and roro237 for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

The recent reviews and other feedback has really helped me. **Thank you!**

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_Author's note: This was the chapter that would not come – this is version five. Things only started moving again when I decided to write what I wanted to write and stop worrying about pushing the plot. For those of you who think we are near the end the answer is not quite. I always imagined that this story would stretch to one hundred chapters and I still think it will._

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**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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**Leader**

**Part 8: Clan**

**76: Guests**

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Sasuke had not expected Ino to request an audience. However, there was no question that, as an elite fighter's child given over to Uchiha's care, she had a right to do so.

It was not difficult to arrange as she was staying within the compound. He had offered both her and Sakura a safe place to stay in one of the secure guest apartments located outside the household.

Ino had accepted while Sakura had not.

Sakura going back to her own apartment had reinforced his opinion that Shikamaru had overreacted. Sasuke was still angry with him for misleading Neji and deliberately placing himself in a potentially dangerous situation.

Even Naruto was cross with him for scaring them.

Shikamaru had been uncharacteristically non-argumentative. He had accepted all the criticism and even apologised for frightening them. However, it had not escaped Sasuke's notice that he had not promised that he would behave differently in the future.

It had been three days since they walked the station. There had been no announcement from Izuna and they had no easy way of knowing what he was doing. The media said he was living in Prime and, when Shikamaru checked, there was an apartment registered in his name.

Sasuke had asked Haku to pack up all his personal belongings, including some of the furniture he particularly liked, and have it delivered.

They had settled quickly and smoothly into the household. Sasuke had been concentrating on the allied crews. The reception had gone well, as had various private meetings with the captains.

He had fitted in the meeting with Ino as soon as he could, which was once the majority of allied crews had either jumped out of the system or were on their way to a gate.

They were using the small secure meeting room. Kakashi had insisted that they keep in mind that an ex-Sister could always be a Sister working undercover. Naruto was with him. Fu, who had escorted her through the corridor of scanners and into the room, was on the other side of the door.

No one was watching or listening remotely. Despite Kakashi's concerns, Sasuke did not think that appropriate.

Ino was very smartly dressed and, even though Sasuke was male-only, he could appreciate that she was good-looking.

Maybe it was because he had a weakness for blond hair and blue eyes.

"Ino-san," he greeted her, gesturing that she should take a seat.

"It is very good of you to agree to see me, Uchiha-sama. You also, Naruto-san."

"You will always have Uchiha's ear, Ino-san," he replied. "Would you like some refreshments?"

"No thank you, Uchiha-sama." She sat a little straighter. "I am here to intercede with you on Shikamaru-san's behalf."

It was not an approach he had anticipated. He indicated that she should proceed.

"I understand that he took a large risk in coming to Izuna-sama's offices. He did not have an escort and, given your reaction, I doubt that he had asked permission or even told anyone about what he had intended to do."

She paused and Sasuke confirmed her deductions with the smallest of nods.

"You should know, Uchiha-sama, that Sakura-san would have definitely kept the rendezvous with Izuna-sama if it had not been for his intervention. I was making no progress in persuading her not to do so until he arrived. The best I had managed was to introduce a short delay."

Sasuke was still not convinced that the potential danger to Sakura had justified the risk.

Ino was frowning slightly, as if she had realised that she had not convinced him.

"At the time," she continued. "I merely thought keeping the rendezvous was unwise. Shikamaru-san turning up in person changed that. I have thought deeply since and I believe that Sakura-san has been spying on Izuna-sama, that Shikamaru-san knew this and that he believed that a recent development meant that Izuna-sama was likely to become aware of it.

"If that is the case, then Sakura-san was in acute danger. If Izuna-sama realised she was a spy there is little doubt in my mind that he would kill her."

It was difficult to know how to react. Sasuke did not want to confirm that Sakura was a spy. He was also interested in Ino's opinion of Izuna so he raised an eyebrow, hoping she would continue.

"Izuna-sama has a large but surprisingly delicate ego," Ino informed him. "He is fond of Sakura. I think he believes that she is in love with him. To discover that she is only paying him close attention because she was spying on him would be a blow and Izuna-sama would retaliate. Also, killing a spy is not outside the spacer code."

It was true; spying was considered dishonourable.

"I am surprised that Uchiha would consider employing spies," Ino hinted.

"Uchiha does not," Sasuke assured her. "However, we do not distinguish between information obtained through clandestine means, including spying, and information obtained more openly. This means that Uchiha is not in a position to condemn spies or spying." He decided to ask his own question. "What makes you think that Sakura-san has been spying on Izuna-sama?"

Ino studied him for a moment before replying.

"I do not think that a woman who is as intelligent and as skilled as Sakura-san, with her education and experience, would stay as Izuna-sama's personal assistant unless she had an ulterior motive. The job was too menial and while Izuna-sama's expectations of a woman's appearance, obedience, and knowledge of etiquette are high, in all other areas they are depressingly low."

"You stayed, Ino-san," Sasuke reminded her.

"I had little choice, Uchiha-sama. Most people are too terrified of the Sisterhood to consider employing someone raised by them. The pay was good and the job did not require me to break my personal code."

Sasuke had to ask. "May I enquire about the parameters of that code?"

"The Sisterhood does not kill people who do not deserve to die. This is not necessarily true of other organisations or employers."

That was blunt. Sasuke looked across and caught Naruto's eye. His whiskers were up and his eyes were sparkling. He liked her.

Sasuke liked her too. "I understand that you have already been to an evemeal in the household, Ino-san."

"Yes, Uchiha-sama. Sumaru-san invited me. It was most enjoyable."

"Are you available to join us this evening, Ino-san? I must warn you, almost everyone will be there, so it will not be formal and is likely to be noisy."

"That would be lovely, Uchiha-sama. May I be rather forward?"

"Feel free, Ino-san."

"May I bring Sakura-san with me?"

Sasuke recalled his meeting the pink-haired woman in the Warren and the teasing he had received afterwards. However, that had been eleven standards ago; he resolved to be fair and give her the benefit of the doubt. "Please convey my invitation to her, Ino-san."

* * *

Shikamaru was hiding.

He had been prepared for Sasuke to tell him off for going alone to Izuna's offices. He had not expected Naruto to be cross, or Neji to be angry, or Sumiko to cry, or Iruka's reproachful looks, or Kakashi to threaten to beat him senseless if he ever did something so stupid again.

Then there was the rest of it.

The household was still arranged as it had been before Neji had been kidnapped. They shared an office and Neji's bedroom was linked to his.

Sumiko had locked the connecting door on Shikamaru's side and purged their rooms of Neji's things, piling them into a basket and dumping them in the shared area outside Neji's door.

Haku had been outraged, which mystified Shikamaru as it was exactly the type of gesture he could imagine Haku making. He wanted to sit down with Shikamaru and discuss Sumiko's behaviour.

That had been added to Shikamaru's list of things he was trying to avoid.

Then there was Neji. Shikamaru lying to him and scaring him so badly had used up the last of Neji's patience. He admitted that he did not want Shikamaru in his room and made the reasonable request that they fuck in Shikamaru's, as they always had. He had pointed out that Shikamaru could lock the door between his bedroom and the sitting room he shared with Sumiko.

Su-chan retaliated by reminding him of the promise he had made her; Neji would not be allowed back into their rooms.

It was a dispute that they both expected him to resolve.

It hadn't been too bad the days after Uchiha had walked. They had been busy. There had been the reception for the allied crews, followed by two days of meetings.

Only now all the crews had jumped out of the system or were on their way to a gate. He had run out of excuses for avoiding people.

So he was hiding in one of Haru's simulators, the one he used when he, Haru and Sai were working together. Haru's laboratory wasn't big enough for two simulators, not if Haru wanted space to do anything, so they had put it in a nearby storage cupboard and hardwired it into Haru's network.

If located, he would say that he had a backlog of communications, which he did, and that working in the simulator was quicker, which it was.

He started by catching up with his Tennyos. There was a communication from each of them. He opened Tennyo Three's first, expecting a response to Chaaruzu-san's orders, which he had sent as soon as he had returned to the household from Uchiha headquarters.

She confirmed that she had sent Izuna a letter explaining that she could no longer work for him. She had not, however, followed the second part of his instructions. She had not left Tarrasade as Sakura with the intention of returning using a new persona.

Instead she was resigning.

To his surprise it upset him. It wasn't like Tennyos hadn't resigned before; his original Tennyo Two had moved on, as had her replacement.

Maybe it was because he had not seen it coming; he had realised that Tennyo Two was falling in love and that Tennyo Five missed being part of a crew. Or perhaps it was because he had met Sakura in person twice, when none of the others had ever been closer than a real-time communication link.

He sighed and began going through the necessary steps: arranging the payments for her pension and medical care; providing impressive, if completely contrived, references; changing codes and security protocols. He left her the ability to change her appearance; ex-operatives often had people they wished to avoid.

He would have to trust her not to reveal the complex of interconnected apartments across Levels 1, 5 and 4; there was only one of those and he had no intention of giving it up.

Once he had finished, he sent her a message from Chaaruzu-san including all the details she would need, wishing her all the best and strongly recommending that she did not use the Sakura persona when walking around the corridors of Tarrasade.

Then he opened the report from Tennyo One, hoping it did not contain any surprises. It did not. He had just finished reading it when there was a familiar voice.

"Shika-san?"

"Yes, Sai-kun?"

"Sumiko-chan is looking for you. To be more precise many people are looking for you but Iruka-san has asked Sumiko to find you. She said she could and now that she cannot she is becoming anxious. I would prefer not to tell her that you are in the storage cupboard."

It was closest Sai came to a threat. Shikamaru knew that, if pushed, Sai would give away his hiding place rather than have Su-chan upset.

"On my way, Sai-kun," he confirmed.

He intercepted Sumiko in a corridor and they walked together back to their crew room so that Su-chan could take credit for finding him.

Iruka immediately appeared. "Shika-kun, a word. Su-chan, your Nii-san will be with you soon."

Sumiko reluctantly went into their sitting room and shut the door. Shikamaru braced himself.

"Do you need an extra room?" Iruka asked.

It took a moment for what Iruka meant to sink in. "A fucking room?" he checked.

Iruka smiled. "If you want to call it that."

"Is there a spare?"

"More than one. The youngsters are all going to the next crew room along, even Ran and Haru have decided they would prefer to have rooms there."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

"You are welcome, Shika-kun. Now go and get ready for the evening meal. We have guests."

He was still wondering about the unexpected guests as he entered.

"Nii-san?" It was Su-chan, coming out of her room.

He pulled himself together.

"Haku-san brought some clothes for you; I put them in your room."

He cringed. He knew what was coming next.

"Your room is very messy. You have to tidy it up yourself now that Neji-san does not do it for you. I already do this room and the small kitchen and my room and my bathroom. I am not going to do your room and your bathroom."

He did not point out that they were his room and his bathroom. He had standards of trying that argument on his Ma; he knew it didn't work.

"I could tell Iruka-san that I am worried about you," she threatened.

He flinched. "I'll do it," he told her.

"You don't have time now," she informed him. "You have to have a shower and get dressed in the clothes Haku-san brought. There are guests for the evening meal and Iruka-san wants you to help entertain them beforehand."

Having limited time meant that he had to use the blowers to dry his hair, which left it ridiculously fluffy. He dragged it back from his face and secured it with the usual silver ring.

It looked like a pompom. He sighed, put back in his earrings, slid his ring onto his duty finger and pulled on the clothes Haku had left for him.

They felt tight, like his uniform. He much preferred his usual clothes.

Sumiko looked him up and down. "Not bad," she observed. She pointed to a low stool. "Sit down."

He did what he was told and watched her walk into his bedroom. He could hear her tutting as she went through to the bathroom.

She returned with a pot of some hair product that Neji had given him. She opened it, smeared a little on her fingers and ran them through the ends of his hair.

"There," she announced. "Go look."

He went to the mirror Neji had hung near the door so that he and Sumiko could check their appearance before entering the shared area. To his relief the fluffy pompom looked more like his usual hair.

"Do you find women sexually attractive?" Sumiko asked.

He turned around and looked at her. Where had that come from?

"I am with Neji," he countered.

She sniffed. "I thought you and Neji-san were friends helping each other out."

Shikamaru wasn't sure that 'friends helping each other out' was a suitable concept for a girl of ten; their Ma would have been horrified.

"I mean, Haku-san and Iruka-san are making sure you look good for the guests and the guests are female."

Shikamaru looked back at the mirror in alarm.

"You should be going. Iruka-san will be cross if you are late," Sumiko reminded him. "We can talk about it later."

She pushed him out the door.

The first things he saw in the shared area were a shapely pair of silk-clad legs. His eyes travelled up to blue eyes and long blond hair.

"Shikamaru-san," Ino acknowledged.

He managed a sketchy bow. "Ino-san."

"I have a few things to see to," Iruka was saying. "Shika-san will be happy to entertain you, Ino-san"

Ino indicated the empty expanse of couch next to her. "That will be lovely."

He sat down. What were Iruka and Haku up to? Why did they think he liked Ino? He had only met her once.

Then he remembered who had also been at that meeting: Naruto.

Ino was smiling at him. It wasn't a 'please like me' smile or even an 'I am trying to be socially acceptable smile'. It was more like the smile on Sumiko's face when she had a present to unwrap.

"You are looking very nice this evening, Shikamaru-san," she told him.

Shikamaru felt himself flush. "Thank you," he acknowledged. "You too," he added, trying not to stare at her legs or indeed at any other part of her body, which left him looking at her face.

His gaze was locked by a pair of predatory blue eyes.

Luckily people soon started arriving; introducing them gave him something to do and meant she had to look elsewhere than into his eyes.

When Neji came in Shikamaru jumped to his feet without thinking. Ino stood too, which made it worse.

"Neji, Ino-san. Ino-san, this is Neji."

"Ino-san," Neji acknowledged politely.

"Neji-san," she replied coolly.

Shikamaru realised that he had expected Neji to slip an arm around his waist, or make some other gesture of ownership. Not having him do so left Shikamaru feeling insecure.

Then Naruto and Sasuke walked in escorting Sakura and the tension dissipated. Sakura asked about Sumaru and next thing she and Ino were being escorted to Sumaru's crew room by Sasuke.

Naruto watched them leave and then laughed.

Neji's lips quirked in his version of a smile.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked.

"Ino and Sakura," Naruto answered.

He didn't understand. "Ino and Sakura what?"

"It would appear that Ino-san and Sakura-san are a couple," Neji clarified.

"Or at least that they fuck," Naruto suggested.

"No, they are a couple," Neji insisted. "Otherwise Ino-san would not be angling to get both of them onto the crew."

Shikamaru studied them during the meal. Without Naruto's nose or Neji's ability to read behaviour, he would have had no idea that they were more than friends.

It made him feel considerably better about Tennyo Three's resignation.

They stayed for exactly the right amount of time after the meal. As soon as they left, everyone was talking about them. There was no doubt that they had made a favourable impression.

Discussion was still lively when Shikamaru left the kitchen to check that Sumiko was going to bed.

"I wish I had pink hair like Sakura-san or blond hair like Ino-san," Sumiko said as she finished brushing her hair.

Shikamaru was reminded of Neji's response the last time hair colour had come up. "Pink clashes with lots of colours, Su-chan, and if you are blond you can't wear yellow."

"Your hair is lots of different colours, Sumiko-chan," Sai pointed out, making his voice appear to come from the Sai avatar in its holographic bed on the other side of the room. "I think it is perfect."

Sumiko smiled at him and climbed into bed. "Story please, Nii-san."

One of the best things about having Sai living with them was that Su-chan no longer insisted he stay in the sitting room until she was asleep. He went out into the shared area, intending to slip away to continue working in the simulator.

He had reckoned without Naruto.

"Shi-chan."

He sat down on the couch beside his friend. "Na-chan," he acknowledged.

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before Naruto spoke.

"Perhaps they will consider a threesome,"

Shikamaru thumped him on the upper arm. "I am not interested in Ino. Yes, she has amazing legs but it doesn't mean anything. Non-bonded people find other people attractive all the time."

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "That is true," he acknowledged. "Even Sasuke finds some men attractive."

"You told Haku and Iruka," Shikamaru complained.

"I did not. I merely suggested that having guests to the evening meal was an opportunity for them to get you into some new clothes. They jumped at it."

Shikamaru could believe that of Haku but he was less convinced about Iruka. "Na-chan, I am with Neji. I already have Su-chan making things difficult. I don't need you joining in."

Naruto did not reply. Instead Shikamaru could see him scanning the line of doors; Sumiko's room, their shared sitting room, his room, Neji's room and then the empty room that Iruka had offered him.

"Ask Iruka-sensei to give the room to Neji rather than you," Naruto suggested.

It was a brilliant idea. Shikamaru hugged him.

"You could probably catch Iruka-sensei now," Naruto added.

Iruka was still at the kitchen table, along with most of the older crew, who were still discussing Ino and Sakura. One look was enough to attract his attention. They met up at one of the counters under the guise of making fresh coffee.

"You sure?" Iruka checked once Shikamaru had made his request.

"Absolutely," Shikamaru assured him.

"Very well. Now Shika-kun, I want you to sit at the table and socialise."

Shikamaru looked around. Naruto had sat down next to Dan. There was an unoccupied space next to Inryoku and Enerugi.

He carried the tray to the table, sat down and poured Inryoku a cup before passing the flask along the table; Enerugi was drinking whisky and playing footsie with Tatsuji.

Iruka had sat down next to Neji.

Shikamaru drank two cups of coffee followed by two shots of whisky. It left him with a pleasant buzz.

He felt Neji's hand on his shoulder, looked up and smiled. Neji smiled back, gave his shoulder a squeeze and walked away. Shikamaru knew that was Neji for 'I am fine if you stay here but also would not mind if you followed me'. Shikamaru decided to follow.

"Iruka-san insisted that I have a second room," Neji informed him.

Shikamaru hoped that the caffeine and alcohol would make his acting more convincing. "Did he? That's great."

Neji frowned slightly. Shikamaru could see him deciding to let it go. He stopped at the door of his room.

"Would you like a one-off opportunity to muck up my room?"

Shikamaru stared at him.

"I'm going to move next door tomorrow," Neji admitted. "Then the shared room will be between us." He opened the door and Shikamaru looked through to the pristine order beyond. The thought of introducing some chaos was as tempting as a fuck.

What was even better was that he was going to get both.

* * *

...


	77. Betrayal

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme, melissen and roro237 and LillyTigress,for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

The recent reviews and other feedback has really helped me. **Thank you!**

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 8: Clan**

**77: Betrayal**

* * *

Madara settled at his desk and suppressed a sigh. They were very impressive offices, in the best part of Prime, with a private dock.

They were, however, not in Uchiha headquarters. Just as his apartment was not in the Uchiha household.

When the container had arrived, bearing the Uchiha seal and Haku's signature, he had considered sending it back. The gesture would have emphasised his disapproval.

Instead he had kept the contents: his favourite clothes; the ornaments he most valued; the small pieces of furniture, rugs and paintings he had chosen for his room.

He told himself they were a reminder of what he was working towards rather than of what he had lost.

He had yet to release a statement or give an interview. The media was rife with speculation. They had latched onto the fact that he had offices in Prime and one of the more competent journalists had found out about his new apartment.

He had people spreading his message in the corridors of the lower levels: Sasuke Uchiha had infested the clan with hybrids; having an heir who was a hybrid was as dishonourable as having implants to win a leadership challenge; giving hybrids rights was the first step towards giving them your jobs, your homes and your children.

The HDL were still making statements about living together in harmony while AHB squads were eliminating hybrids and dumping their bodies down disposal chutes for the Scavengers.

Another few divs and it would be time for him to step forward and become the voice of reason.

The sound of an incoming communication. His eyes automatically went to the outer office where Sakura should be. Instead Kimimaro was filling in, which was far short of satisfactory.

He still hoped that Sakura would agree to continue working for him. He had not yet received her resignation, unlike Ino's.

Looking back, he wished he had managed the transition better. He had left her and Ino speculating about their futures instead of assuring them that their jobs were secure. He should have trusted that they would keep the rendezvous rather than sending some of his men to check. The men had handled it badly; Ino had overreacted and Sakura must have been frightened.

In truth, Madara was not sure if Sakura would fit into his new organisation. She was too... ...clean. That was what he liked about her; that and her little idiosyncrasies.

Kimimaro was lurking in the doorway. Madara signalled that he should come in.

"This was at the Stellar Exchange for you, Uchiha-sama," Kimimaro told him, placing a letter on his desk rather than in the letter rack. "Also Kurotsuchi-san is on her way with some important information."

Clean was not a word Madara could use about Kurotsuchi. It was difficult to come out of any conversation with her feeling anything other than grubby.

He would have disliked her if she was a man. In a woman, her behaviour made his flesh crawl.

Unfortunately, he was stuck with her. She was delivering the AHB and he needed them.

He did not have time to open the letter; Kurotsuchi was coming through his door almost before Kimimaro had announced her. She had two goons with her but one threatening look from Kimimaro was enough to have them sitting down in the outer office like well-behaved schoolboys.

They were utterly terrified of him, which was good.

She waved Kimimaro away. He, of course, stood his ground and looked to Madara for instructions.

"Thank you, Kimimaro-san, that will be all," he confirmed. He did not require Kimimaro to snap Kurotsuchi's neck should an appropriate opportunity present itself.

Kimimaro bowed. "Uchiha-sama." He pointedly avoided Kurotsuchi and left, closing the door behind him.

Madara could see her biting back the comment she was on the edge of making. He wondered who made her so uncharacteristically reticent, him or Kimimaro.

"You have information for me, Kurotsuchi-san?" he hinted. The sooner he could get her out of his office the better.

"Yes. I thought the pink-haired bitch was familiar."

It took him a moment to realise that she meant Sakura. He tightened his hold on his temper. "You mean my personal assistant?"

"That's the one. She was in the Warren during the uprising."

"I am aware of that, Kurotsuchi-san. Sakura herself mentioned it."

Kurotsuchi snorted. "I bet she didn't tell you what she did. I thought I recognised her, so I asked my people. She coordinated the runners who were working for Uchiha during the evacuation. She hired them, briefed them, kept them in contact, acted as their link to Uchiha."

Madara was certain she had to be mistaken.

"I knew you wouldn't like it, so I dug about. One of our people managed to plant a camera at the couriers' briefing. We were interested in the couriers but it caught her as well."

She pulled a tape from her pocket and walked towards the player on his desk. In response he stood up and held out his hand.

"I shall take that, Kurotsuchi. Thank you."

She handed it over. "It's a copy," she informed him.

"I appreciate your concern," Madara told her. "Is there anything else? We do have our scheduled meeting tomorrow." He walked around his desk, shepherding her towards the exit.

She may have argued but Kimimaro opened the door and gestured that she should come through.

Madara waited for Kurotsuchi and her goons to leave and then told Kimimaro that he did not want to be disturbed. Once the door was shut, he opened his hand and stared at the tape.

If what Kurotsuchi had said was true, it would be a bitter pill for him to swallow.

He could not deal with it here. As he disconnected the tape player, his gaze fell on the letter. Such things were usually from one of the old, well-established clans. It was bad enough that it had lain unclaimed at the Stellar Exchange for days without him delaying opening it. He snatched it up with the player and put both in the inner pocket of his jacket. Then he stalked out of the office.

Kimimaro secured the office behind them and fell in beside him.

Once they were at his apartment, he told Kimimaro that he would not be needed until the next morning.

It look him a while to work out how to connect the tape player to the display screen but he persisted. Finally a grainy video began playing.

There was no mistaking that it was her. She was dressed as a spacer. She even had a knife strapped to her thigh. He watched as she stepped up to stand on a tabletop.

_"My name is Sakura. I have chosen to hire each of you because you worked for standards alongside couriers who were hybrids. Many of you wore HDL ribbons before the AHB made that unwise. If you are not sympathetic towards hybrids, please leave. I ask each of you to look at the other people in this room. Is there anyone who should not be here?_

_"Your job today is to assist with the evacuation. You may be needed, you may not. Two of you will need to be dispatchers. The dispatchers will receive messages from me by radio. The rest of you will use your initiative to find the target group for those messages and convey them. This bar is your base for the day unless you hear otherwise."_

The taped record stopped there, with her standing on the table addressing the couriers. He told himself that it might not be what it seemed. She could have been hired and briefed to carry out the task.

He did not know enough about what had happened in the Warren to judge.

Unfortunately what was on the tape condemned her in Kurotsuchi's eyes. It marked her as a hybrid-lover and probably meant that her name was on some AHB hit list.

Having her as his personal assistant would not be feasible. He would write to her, explaining that he no longer required her services.

The decision reminded him of the letter in his jacket. He drew it out and turned it in his fingers. There was no crest, which was odd.

He slit the envelope open and recognised the neatly-penned characters; it was from Sakura. He scanned it. She was resigning.

He had been about to dismiss her, so why did the letter annoy him? Images from the tape began playing in his head. A thought crept into his mind and began to grow,

What if it had been exactly what it seemed? What if she had been an integral part of the operation? What did that mean?

Why would the woman shown on the tape take a job as his personal assistant?

What had Kurotsuchi said? The woman annoyed him so much that it was always difficult to remember her exact words. She had accused Sakura of working on behalf of Uchiha and being directly in contact with them.

Working on behalf of Sasuke Uchiha and being directly in contact with his people. Creeping dread gave way to utter certainty. She was Sasuke Uchiha's spy.

He tore the letter into small pieces. If Sasuke had stooped so low as to use a spy, what else might he do?

He stared at the objects on his desk. Even the pen had come from the container Haku had sent.

He disassembled the pen; nothing. Then he picked up the nearest heavy object and systematically smashed the components into small pieces; still nothing.

He did not know of he would recognise a bug if he found one.

He looked about him. Even if he destroyed every item Haku had sent it was probably too late. He imagined them arriving infested with tiny crawlers that Shikamaru had designed. By now they could be anywhere.

They could even be inside of him, put there by Sasuke Uchiha's medicos.

He resolved to speak to a security expert the next day.

Then he went to the private gym that had so attracted him to this particular apartment. He imagined the practice dummy was Sasuke Uchiha and destroyed it.

Afterward he treated the damage to his hands and imagined them around Shikamaru's neck, squeezing the life out of him as they had squeezed the life out of his brother's lover.

As for Sakura, he fell asleep dreaming of what he would do to her.

* * *

Shikamaru felt better than he had for days. The previous evening's combination of caffeine, alcohol, mucking up Neji's room and fucking would be worth repeating.

Not that he could imagine Neji allowing him into his new room. He watched as Neji selected an item, dusted it carefully and then took it through the doorway to be placed in its new position.

"I could help," he suggested.

"I would very much prefer you not to," Neji replied as he returned for the next object. "Think about how you would like this room to be."

The answer suggested itself immediately. "Empty, with a big storage closet here." He indicated the wall with the door that led to the shared area.

Neji stopped, still holding the small sculpture he had picked up. Shikamaru could tell that he had caught on at once and was thinking about all the scenarios they had used when Shikamaru was breaking down Neji's reluctance to fuck.

"It was fun, Ne-chan," he pleaded.

"Yes it was," Neji admitted. "You can explain to Sumiko-chan."

Shikamaru had not thought of that. They could block the door to the shared area. It would give them more storage and cut down the chances of Su-chan finding out. "You agree then?"

"For now," Neji concurred. He carried the sculpture through the doorway. "I am sure you have work to do."

Shikamaru decided to take the hint.

He decided to continue clearing his backlog of incoming communications; some of the less urgent ones had been waiting days for his attention. He thought about using the simulator in the cupboard but decided to make do with the kit he had in the office he shared with Neji.

After all, he did like his desk.

He settled into his chair and decided on a visor rather than goggles. Earpieces in, control wire gloves on, he opened his interface.

To his surprise there was a priority two alert; maximum importance but not immediately urgent.

As soon as he investigated, his good mood drained away. The alert originated from Centre and had been generated by the Sai-type code that he had introduced into the Centralite systems.

Bettencourt, the man Izuna had met on the liner, had visited the Institute of Psychology on Centre I. Three psychologists who specialised in typed-geniuses worked at the Institute. Two senior Civil Servants had visited at the same time.

There was no record of an agenda nor any account of what had happened. Perhaps the meeting was not about him.

Only he knew it was. He felt empty and slightly nauseous. He began searching for Bettencourt's current whereabouts.

It was easier than he expected. Bettencourt was on a civil service ship heading for Tarrasade; a journey that could take as little as two divs.

He had two divs to prepare for, at best, a ten standard absence and, at worse, being separated from his family forever.

For a moment it felt like Izuna had won.

But he hadn't. Sasuke was alive and Izuna had shown he would not risk his life by challenging. The family was reunited. They had reclaimed the household in Tarrasade. Orochimaru and the Akatsuki had been eliminated. Skyburrow was a safe haven for them should they need one.

Sumiko was old enough to cope without him. At least she had Sai. Shikamaru hoped that he would be able to send her vids.

Haru had matured hugely. Working with Sai, he could solve problems that Shikamaru could not. He might not be ready to step into his shoes as Sasuke's advisor, but there were things that they could do to help span the gap in the next two divs.

Then he thought of Naruto. Even if he managed to get away after a decade in the Central Civil Service, like Klenn had, would Na-chan still be alive when he returned?

Not if Rin was correct about his lifespan; he would have been dead for two standards. Suddenly those three standards that Orochimaru had been offering seemed even more precious.

He closed the interface he was using and opened the project that he had been working on for the last five divs, ever since Orochimaru had said there was a way of prolonging Na-chan's life.

The top layer of a huge, dedicated database appeared. Underneath was everything he had collected that might impact on the problem. It included everything he had gleaned over the standards, everything Kotohime had given him, everything he had dug out of Orochimaru's records and anything the Sai-type code had managed to detect in databases across known space, including Centre.

Half a standard of effort with no hint of success. He wanted to ask Sai and Haru for help; Sai because tagging and sorting that took Shikamaru the better part of a day would take Sai seconds and Haru because Haru could find patterns that were invisible to anyone else.

He had not done so because he didn't want to raise Haru's hopes and he couldn't ask Sai to keep a secret from Haru.

Having a time limit of two divs simplified the decision making; he involved Sai and Haru or he gave up on the idea. He reached for a throat mike and pressed it into place.

"Sai-kun?"

Sai was there in a flash. "Shika-san?"

"I need your help with something."

Sai quickly appreciated the task. Shikamaru watched as the data was dissected into facts and hundreds of tags were applied to each of the resulting pieces.

Standards of work for a flesh and blood person using conventional computers were accomplished in minutes.

"You are working on what makes canine-human hybrids age more quickly than purebred humans," Sai pointed out.

Shikamaru startled. He had imagined Sai was having to concentrate. "Yes."

"And it is a secret?"

"For now. I am going to tell Haru within the next few days but I shall be asking him to keep the secret too."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to raise people's hopes if we don't find anything."

There was a pause. "Haru said that Naruto-san would be cross if he worked on it."

"That too. Naruto-san would also be cross with me if he knew."

"You are doing it anyway," Sai pointed out.

"Yes, I am doing it anyway," Shikamaru confirmed. "I want them all to be with us longer."

"In their original flesh and blood bodies," Sai checked.

"Yes, in their original flesh and blood bodies." He wondered if Sai was suggesting they became Tronnies. Shikamaru knew that Naruto and the kits could never be happy living that way. Maybe he could be, but not them. "For many, maybe most, flesh and blood people, their bodies are an essential part of their identities."

"I shall accept the parameters of the problem as you have set them," Sai assured him.

"I appreciate that, Sai-kun." He paused. "The tagging you required is complete. I have generated a second generation of tags that were suggested during the tagging process. These have also been applied."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome. When will you be telling Haru?"

"Within the next two days," Shikamaru assured him.

"I must go and play with Sumiko now. I have been both there and here for more than two minutes and she does not like it when I do not pay her my full attention."

"Go," Shikamaru told him.

Shikamaru sat there once he had gone. It was tempting to begin looking for patterns in the tagged data but it was a waste of time; Haru would be much better at it than he could ever be.

He closed the interface and stripped off his equipment. Top of his new list was claiming more of Haru's time.

Iruka was where Shikamaru expected to find him; in the kitchen. He made a point of working at the kitchen or galley table whenever there had been an upheaval in their living arrangements. That way anyone would feel free to sit down and share their concerns.

Moving everyone into the household in Tarrasade and establishing a fourth crew room definitely qualified as an upheaval.

"Shika-kun," Iruka acknowledged at once, placing his tablet off to one side to make it clear that he was available to talk.

Shikamaru sat down. "Now that Haru is fourteen and sworn, I want to introduce him to the Uchiha systems."

Iruka frowned slightly but nodded.

"I probably should have thought it through before, but the issues surrounding Izuna-sama were more urgent."

The distraction worked. Iruka smiled. "Yes, it is good that the Izuna-sama issue is settled."

The last word Shikamaru would have used to describe the Izuna issue was settled. They were in a new standoff, one in which Izuna was more likely to claim the leadership than challenge for it.

The situation would not be settled until Izuna died, preferably without having had any more children.

It was an unwelcome thought; Shikamaru sudden imagined rank upon rank of gestators containing full blood Uchihas. Once they were old enough to vote at a clan meeting, they could change the charter so that a person had to be a full blood Uchiha to challenge for the leadership.

Then they would be back where they had started.

"Shika-kun?" Iruka hinted.

Shikamaru realised he had been chasing the new line of thought. There was no evidence that Izuna had started gestating full blood Uchiha babies, so it would be over fourteen standards until they could vote. Hopefully he would be back by then.

"Haru?" Iruka tried.

He pulled himself back to the present. "Yes, Haru. I have been thinking it through. It will work better if we work on it intensely. I would like all his available time over the next two divs."

"All of it?" Iruka queried.

"Yes please. Not only will it be quicker, but it will save total time. This is not something that can easily be achieved in dribs and drabs. Also, I do not want to get partway through and have Haru sent on a mission or assigned to a team going back to Skyburrow."

"I will do what I can," Iruka promised. "Is there anything else worrying you?"

He would have to work on appearing less agitated. "No. Thank you for giving the extra room to Neji. He's moving into it so the shared room is between us. We have been talking about how to get our new relationship working better."

Iruka smiled at him. "Good."

It had worked, Iruka had been distracted. "I'm going to go and see how Neji is getting on with the move."

"You do that," Iruka encouraged.

Shikamaru left the kitchen by the door that led to their crew room but he kept going; out the other exit, heading for the simulator in the cupboard.

He had so much to do and so little time in which to do it.

* * *

...


	78. Stepping up

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, Drago Imperiali, donalgraeme, melissen and roro237 and LillyTigress,for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: this chapter has been modified slightly to conform with this site's terms and conditions - the unmodified version is on another site.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 8: Clan**

**78: Stepping up**

* * *

Haru had fallen asleep on Ran's bed again. This time it had been after the midmeal and he did not wake up until the afternoon was half over.

It was becoming a habit. He knew that walking the station and the reception for the allied crews had been exhausting but that had been five days ago.

There was a note for Ran saying that he had set an alarm to wake Haru before he was on duty in the kitchen. Haru deactivated it before smoothing his hair, pulling down his top and going to check what was happening.

Iruka-sensei was in the kitchen, working at the table. As soon as Haru appeared, Iruka-sensei stopped what he was doing and beckoned him over.

"Sit down, Haru-kun," he instructed.

Haru was meant to be helping Choza-san. He glanced across as he took the seat next to Iruka-sensei. Choza-san seemed fine. He had Shou and Tsuneo helping him. The two of them were standing on a low bench so that they were tall enough to chop vegetables at the counter.

"I have arranged for you to have a medical tomorrow morning with Rin-san," Iruka-sensei began.

He opened his mouth to argue but read Iruka-sensei's expression and did not.

"Experience suggests that it is merely a growth spurt but Rin-san may need to adjust your nanobots or give you supplements. Seeing a medico will stop your oto-san worrying about you."

A growth spurt was a nice thought. By the time he had stopped thinking about it, Iruka-sensei had changed topics.

"Shika-san has asked for all your duty time for the next two divs."

Haru was surprised; Shi-chan had not mentioned that he was going to do that.

"Of course that is not possible," Iruka-sensei continued, "but I have cut down your other commitments to a minimum." He slid a tablet across the table to Haru.

Haru scanned his new schedule. He had the normal number of watches, the minimum number of general duties, training and his knife-fighting lessons with Iruka-sensei. Otherwise he was with Shi-chan.

He realised that Iruka-sensei was waiting for an answer. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei, this looks awesome."

"Good. Now Choza-san, Tsu-chan, Shou-chan and I can cope here. I want you to go and check in with Shika-san."

He started by trying Shi-chan's office, the one that he shared with Neji-san. No one answered the door announcer; he did not even get a recorded message from Neji-san. Haru decided to resort to Sai.

Sai's response was immediate. "Haru."

"I am looking for Shi-chan," Haru explained.

There was the slightest pause. "I shall tell him that you wish to see him."

He was opening the door to his laboratory when Shi-chan replied saying that he was on his way. Haru went inside and activated his system. He half expected Sai to appear but he didn't; perhaps he was with Su-chan.

Shi-chan walked in a few minutes later.

"Iruka-sensei had sorted me out a new schedule," Haru began. "Shall I send you a copy so you know when I am working with you?"

"He had already shown me the times," Shi-chan admitted. He hesitated and then continued. "I told him that I wanted to familiarise you with the Uchiha systems but I also want you to help me with a project." Shi-chan looked about as if anxious someone might overhear. "I don't want you to tell anyone about it. You'll understand why when I tell you what it is."

Haru nodded. He would tell Papa if Papa asked. In his experience, Papa rarely knew what questions to ask.

"Orochimaru suggested that it was possible to extend canine-human hybrids' life-spans. It would only be by a fraction but, if there was even a possibility it is true, I intended to research it."

Haru's throat closed. He could not answer. None of them ever talked about To-chan and Kiba-san dying, or the kits and Ryuu only living until they were forty standards.

"Haru?" Shi-chan asked. "You understand why we can't ignore this?"

He forced himself to speak. "To-chan says it's how you live, not how long you do it."

Shi-chan's gaze went distant. "I know. I tried to leave it alone but I can't." Then he was back and his eyes were the way they got when he wasn't thinking about how other people saw him. "I have to know what options we can offer them. If there is nothing that can be done, I need to know I have explored every possibility. I thought I had. Kotohime said I had, but then Orochimaru says that he knows how to extend Na-chan's life by three standards and the kits' by a decade."

Haru did not know about that, but he had a good idea of how Orochimaru's mind worked. "He was probably lying. Or it would be something gross like going into stasis and using mindprints, like he did. Or worse." He was having problems thinking of worse but he was sure that Orochimaru was capable of it.

Shi-chan's eyes changed. It was like a door closing. He turned away. "You are probably right."

Haru felt as if he was being pulled in two directions. On one side there was his To-chan, who did not want people obsessing about extending his life, and on the other there was Shi-chan, who would obsess about it whether Haru helped him or not.

"It can't hurt to look," Haru admitted. "But when Sai and I decide we've looked everywhere you have to agree to stop."

Shi-chan reached across him for one of the interfaces and called up the top layer of a database. Haru's eyes went to the descriptors. There was a huge mass of data from an amazing number of sources.

"I can't see any new connections," Shi-chan admitted. "I would like you to try your more systematic approach. I confess I have already got Sai to chop up the data. He's labelled the bits with my tags and one set of his tags."

Haru watched the database flatten and expand. He thought about complaining about Shi-chan telling Sai first but he didn't. What Orochimaru had said had really got into Shi-chan's head and Haru knew what that felt like. "Do you want me to start working on it now?"

"Maybe. Do you need Sai? I think he's with Su-chan. There is some other stuff I want to talk to you about."

'Other stuff' turned out to be everything Shi-chan did for Uchiha that no one else did. Within minutes, Haru's head was spinning.

"We need to go slower," he admitted.

Shi-chan stopped in the middle of calling up yet another procedure.

"I am still thinking about the first one you showed me," Haru told him.

"You are?" Shi-chan looked defeated.

"I have to translate it," Haru explained. "You forget that you think in a completely different way to anyone else. Let's go back to the first one."

Once they had talked about it for a few minutes, Haru could see how to make it into a task that anyone could do using conventional computer programmes. He restructured it, labelled it 'intelligence analysis' and filed it appropriately.

"The more I do, the quicker it will be," he assured Shi-chan.

Shi-chan thought for a moment and then nodded. "This is good. Let's do the next one."

Haru considered asking how long the list of procedures was, but decided against it; there were some things he was better off not knowing. They were starting on number thirteen when the alarm in Shi-chan's wrist chronometer sounded, warning them that it was time to go to the evemeal.

At least only one of those they had tackled so far was incomprehensible to Haru. After a few minutes of Shi-chan's mounting agitation, Haru had insisted that they put it aside. Two others would require him to write dedicated computer programmes before other people could understand them but Haru could not see that being a problem.

After the evemeal, he escaped into Ran's room. Iruka-sensei hadn't included any evening sessions on his schedule, but Shi-chan was so keen that they should make progress that Haru thought he might suggest one.

"I don't know what has got into him," Haru complained once he had explained what he had been doing. At least he could talk to Ran about restructuring the procedures. It felt wrong not to tell him about looking for a way to extend canine hybrids' lifespans, but Haru had promised.

"He's been waiting fourteen standards for you to become an adult," Ran reminded him. "He probably started that list the first time you solved one of those puzzles he gave you."

It was nice to think of himself as an adult and Ran was probably right about how long Shi-chan had been waiting.

"You will be able to take some of the responsibility off his shoulders," Ran reminded him. "And I'm glad that you are able to redesign some of the tasks so they can be done by other crew members. That means the burden will not pass from him to you."

"There's probably some stuff that will still need either him or me," Haru replied. "Just like there are some things that only he can do."

"And things that only you can do," Ran added.

Haru decided he had talked enough about work. He leaned in and gave Ran a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Like this," he suggested.

Ran made a show of considering. "Maybe there are other people who could do that."

It was part joke, part test; Haru was determined not to be jealous of other people who didn't even exist. He took Ran's hand, turned it over and kissed the underside of his wrist. "What about this?"

Ran shivered; Haru knew that the underside of his wrists were super-sensitive. "Maybe not that," he agreed.

He put the flat of his hand against Ran's chest and pushed. Ran consented to move until he was lying on the bed. Haru followed and they ended up with Ran on his back and Haru draped over him.

It was one of Haru's favourite positions. His fingers would seek out or create bare patches of Ran's skin to stroke or tickle. If Ran responded positively, Haru would move onto some more serious petting.

Today wasn't one of those days, Haru could tell. Ran's response was behind his instead of in front, even though Haru was doing the stroking and tickling. That meant he was reacting to Haru's pleasure rather than feeling it first hand, which wasn't bad but wasn't exactly good either.

If Ran decided he wanted more, he would take the initiative.

He didn't. He just held Haru close.

Haru relaxed. As soon as he did so, he yawned. Within a minute he was dozing.

"You should go shower and change," Ran reminded him.

"Going to shower in the morning," Haru murmured. "Got a medical."

Ran pushed him gently from the bed. "Clean your teeth, use the head, put on a pair of sleep pants."

Haru tried to burrow back. "Later."

"Now, Haru." Ran insisted, backing up his words with a shove.

It was the same the next morning; Haru could tell Ran was getting fed up with having to nag him. He rolled out of bed and into the head. When he came out, Ran was already in the shower.

Haru pulled on the top he had been wearing the day before, gathered up the rest of his clothes and headed out, hoping he would make it next door without having to have a conversation.

It was just his luck that people were all over the shared area. He tried sneaking but it was hopeless.

"Good night, Ha-chan?" Kuuya asked loudly, attracting everyone's attention.

Haru felt his face flame as he blushed. He sped up, only for Five to appear beside him.

"I believe you dropped these, Haru-kun," he said in his sexiest voice. In his hand were Haru's underpants.

Haru knew they were only teasing him but he still wanted to shrivel away to nothingness. He tried reaching for the underpants without dropping anything else, decided it was hopeless and started reorganising what he was carrying.

Then the underpants were whipped out of Five's grasp and Five gave quickly-muffled yowl of pain as a fist struck his upper arm.

"Behave yourself," Yuki ordered. He turned on the others. "Don't you have places to be?"

They all were suddenly busy. Yuki folded up the underpants and added them to the pile in Haru's arms.

"Thanks, Yu-chan," Haru acknowledged.

Yuki gave a Haku-esque sniff. "This is a crew room, not some gymnasium changing room," he announced, which was definitely for the benefit of others rather than directed at Haru.

Showered and lightly fed, he made his way down to the infirmary for his medical. It was the first time he had been to one on his own; To-chan had always come with him.

Rin-san scanned, tested, prodded and probed. As usual, she did not tell him anything and, as always, he didn't ask her any questions because he knew she wouldn't answer them.

Once she had finished she refused to give him the results without Iruka-sensei being present, because Haru was a trainee and trainees were the queen's responsibility.

Haru had to wait twenty-three minutes because Iruka-sensei was busy. When he arrived, it was obvious that he was not amused, particularly when Rin-san confirmed that there was nothing wrong with Haru other than the growth spurt everyone was expecting.

Iruka-sensei said nothing; senior crew members did not disagree with each other in front of trainees.

It turned out that she had already treated him. His nanobots had been adjusted and some of the hyposprays had been supplements.

Iruka-sensei told him to go about his duties and reminded him of their knife-fighting lesson that afternoon. As Haru left he heard Iruka-sensei asking Rin-san if they could talk in her office.

If Haru were betting on the winner, his choice of front-runner would be Iruka-sensei.

On his schedule it was time set aside to work with Shi-chan but Shi-chan was in a meeting so he and Sai started working on finding possible connections or correlations in the database.

It turned out that there were hundreds of thousands; the problem was knowing which were relevant and which were not. Haru decided to start with the assumption that if someone else had seen it, Shi-chan would have too. Once all known connections and correlations had been eliminated they were down to a couple of hundred. Then Haru prioritised any that linked to anything in Orochimaru's records, which left eighty-five.

It was a good start. He decided to go find Ran and walk with him to the midday meal.

Ran was in the playroom, helping look after Aiko. From what Haru could see, Aiko received far more than a normal baby's share of attention. He wondered if she needed it or if everyone was overcompensating for her being Orochimaru's daughter.

Then he remembered speaking to Rin-san, assuring her that he would help raise her, and felt bad.

He settled down to watch for a while. Aiko would play with her toy for a bit but soon tire of it and start elaborating the game by including Ran. Haru could see her experimenting; at one point she bit Ran just to see his reaction.

He decided to risk joining them on the floor. "She's bored by the toy," he told Ran. "She's playing with you; you are more interesting."

"She picked out that toy to play with," Ran objected.

"Well maybe last time she played with it, the person who was with her did something interesting," Haru suggested. He got up. "Hang on, I'll be back."

The boxes of puzzles were where they had always been, arranged in increasing difficulty and marked with age ranges in Kiba-san's neat print.

Haru started with a box that was marked two to three standards.

"Haru, she's only six divs," Ran objected as he rejoined them on the rug with the box beside him. "She won't be able to line up the pieces properly and connect them."

Haru hadn't thought of that but he decided to persist. He assembled once of the puzzles in front of her and then took it apart again. She watched.

He was convinced she was interested; there was something about the quality of her watching. He spread the pieces out on and waited.

Sure enough, she pointed at the piece he had started with. He picked it up. Then she pointed at the next piece.

Haru could see Ran's surprise out of the corner of his eye.

"Next time you should see if she can do one that she hasn't seen being put together and taken apart," Haru suggested once they had returned Aiko to Kiba-san and were on their way to the kitchen. "Or pick one that we have multiple copies of and make part completed versions and see if she can work it out from that. Or whether she can sequence the partly completed models."

"She was more interested in the puzzle than biting me," Ran conceded. "That's her latest thing; biting."

"The way that different people react is interesting," Haru replied without knowing where the answer came from. "Maybe that was one of the problems with Orochimaru. When he was a baby the only interesting things around him were the people, so he started manipulating them and seeing what happened."

"Good luck surviving if you ever say that to Rin-san," Ran warned.

Haru scowled at him. "Well it makes sense, especially if no one actually loved him so he learned to love them back. It shouldn't be a problem with Aiko because lots of people love her."

Ran stopped. As they were holding hands that meant Haru stopped too. Next thing he knew he was pulled into a hug and Ran was kissing him.

"You, Haru Uchiha," Ran whispered once the kiss was finished, "can still surprise me." He smiled. "I have something to show you."

Haru was happy to be led through their crew room and into Ran's room. He stopped, stunned. There was a door in the wall; it would lead to Haru's room.

"You said you didn't want one," he pointed out when he had recovered.

Ran shrugged. "You haven't slept in your own room since we got here. If we have a door it can be open or it can be closed. A wall can only be closed."

Haru knew it wasn't as simple as that. A closed door was not like a wall; a decision had been made to close a door. What had made Ran change his mind?

Then the pieces fell into place. "Yuki told you what happened this morning."

"And Hoshi, and Ayame, and even Kazuki thought it was worth mentioning," Ran admitted. "I would like the door to remain closed; a door rather than an opening."

"Default position closed," Haru confirmed. "Thank you," he added.

Ran pulled him close for another kiss. "You are welcome, Haru Uchiha."

* * *

...


	79. Interviews 1-16

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, Drago Imperiali, LillyTigress, donalgraeme, melissen, roro237 and Laura-Jean95 for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

The recent reviews and other feedback has really helped me. **Thank you!**

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**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

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_Author's note_

_This run of four chapters is a bit different. Because of that I will be posting them __**twice a week**__ – Saturdays and Wednesdays. The Wednesday postings may be a bit late in the day as I will be working._

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**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**79: ****Interviews 1-16**

* * *

_Naruto [part 1]_

Naruto looked at him as if he were crazy. "You are going to interview the entire crew at once?"

"One-by-one," Sasuke clarified.

"I know you meant that. Teme, there are fifty-two of them."

"Fifty-four including Ino and Sakura," Sasuke reminded him. The vote had been fifty-two for, none against. The ceremony was the next day, with a celebration afterwards. It could be so soon because there were no security concerns; Sakura been working as a Tennyo for over fifteen standards and Sasuke did not intend to query Mother Superior's unconditional recommendation.

"Fifty-four at ten minutes each..."

"Twenty minutes each," Sasuke insisted.

"Twenty minutes each," Naruto agreed, "with five minutes for you to think and make notes afterwards and a five minute gap is..."

Sasuke was much quicker at mental arithmetic. "One thousand six hundred and twenty minutes." He had to admit, it sounded a lot.

"If you dedicate every afternoon to it, starting straight after the midday meal and carrying on until the evening meal, with no breaks, that will be..."

"Eight a day, so approximately seven days," Sasuke concluded. "I shall start with today, tomorrow and the day after." He went to find the copy of the list he had made and fixed it to the wall of their room with magnets. "So I can remind myself each morning who is coming up," he explained.

Naruto peered at the list. His whiskers twitched. "Interesting order," he observed.

* * *

_Tatsuji_

Sasuke had started with the people he spoke with least often and any list of taciturn people would always have Tatsuji at the top.

He had rearranged his study so that there were two comfortable chairs opposite each other at the portrait end. There was a small table between them.

The carefully engineered informal setting was not having the desired effect on Tatsuji, who was sitting bolt upright as if he were on guard duty.

"It is very good to have this opportunity to speak with you, Tatsuji-san," Sasuke began and then waited.

"It is an honour, Sasuke-sama," Tatsuji replied in his whispery voice.

Sasuke tried what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Would you like some tea, Tatsuji-san?"

"No thank you, Sasuke-sama, although I am honoured to be asked."

"Coffee?"

"No thank you, Sasuke-sama, although I am honoured to be asked."

Sasuke resisted the temptation to list more refreshments. He should have left Tatsuji until the evening; then he could have offered whisky.

"I wish to assure you that your service to Uchiha has continued to be exemplary in every way," he began.

Tatsuji relaxed a little "I thank you, Sasuke-sama. Serving you and Uchiha is the greatest of honours."

Suddenly twenty minutes seemed a very long time. Sasuke was pleased that he had the sense to prepare six questions that he could use with anyone: accommodation; present duties; future duties; training; plans for the future; concerns.

He made very little, if any, progress with the first five.

"Is there anything concerning you, Tatsuji-san? If so, I would be honoured if you felt you could share it with me."

This time there was a pause, which Sasuke chose to interpret as a good sign.

"En-chan wants a baby but In-chan doesn't," Tatsuji confided.

At that point Sasuke decided to offer whisky after all and Tatsuji accepted.

* * *

_Inryoku_

"I confess that I am unclear how you and Enerugi-san arrange matters in a situation like this," Sasuke admitted after pouring Inryoku a coffee. "Is he listening?"

Inryoku shook his, their, head. "No, we agreed not to." He paused for a moment. "He's very small and far away."

Compare to talking with Tatsuji, it was easy. Inryoku wished that Shikamaru was less busy so he could speak with him more often. He wanted some new equipment for his laboratory. He had suggestions about how to make the plant-based defence system even more lethal.

At fourteen minutes exactly, Sasuke asked his last question. "Is there anything concerning you, Inryoku-san? If so, I would be honoured if you felt you could share it with me."

"En-chan has this ridiculous notion about having a baby. As if any child should be saddled with us as parents."

Sasuke was struck by the pain in his expression and the derision in his voice. "In my experience, children only want their parents to love them and care for them," he replied. "They do not understand the concept of normalcy. They are very accepting of difference."

"En-chan's too fragile," Inryoku insisted. "When he breaks down he hides away inside us for divs. You shouldn't do that to a child."

Sasuke could not remember Enerugi vanishing. "When was the last time that happened?" he asked.

Inryoku considered. "Not while we've been with Uchiha," he admitted.

"That's a long time," Sasuke reminded him. "Perhaps he isn't as fragile as you think."

* * *

_Enerugi_

"..and Haku-san says that he will help us like he helped Terai-san and Hamaki-san and Fu-san. And Kiba-san says that there is lots of room in the nursery and the playroom. And Tatsuji would make the most wonderful father."

Sasuke realised that Inryoku did not have a chance against the irresistible force of Enerugi's determination to be a parent. However, he decided that he owed it to Inryoku to try.

"When you are one of a couple, it is important that both of you make such an important decision together."

"Tatsuji wants a child."

Sasuke tried again. "Couple was the wrong word. I apologise. Enerugi-san, whatever you do, Inryoku-san has to be involved, he hasn't got a choice."

Enerugi swelled with indignation. "He didn't think of that when he swore to Pein. Oh no. He just told me that it was for the best. He didn't care that Pein thought homosexuality was a perversion that had to be suppressed. I put up with that for standards. The better part of a decade. And he has the gall to complain about a child. A child he would love just like he loves Haru-chan and Nagato-chan."

No; Inryoku did not have a hope.

* * *

_Tenten_

As Tenten sat down, Sasuke realised that he had no idea about what made the person in front of him tick. He had not chosen to recruit her, Tsunade had. All he knew was that she did her duties, she did them effectively and that Asuma had thought enough of her for them to have had a relationship that had lasted standards rather than divs.

After sharing a cup of tea, Sasuke found himself well on the way to confirming she was a genuinely nice person. Apparently her hobby was collecting handheld, non-powered weapons from different cultures.

They talked about and educational project for the children that could lead to a permanent display of weapons from Tenten's collection and the Uchiha storerooms.

* * *

_Izumo_

"We have put together this proposal for expanding the shipyard in Skyburrow. I was hoping to run it past Shika-san but I haven't been able to catch him."

"I am sure it is very well thought out, Izumo-san," Sasuke assured him, accepting the tablet.

"We were wondering if you were planning on having a permanent presence there," Izumo hinted.

Sasuke understood. In many ways, living in Skyburrow gave them much more flexibility. On the other hand, leaving Tarrasade to Izuna was unacceptable. "It is under consideration, Izumo-san. We still intend to have Skyburrow as our major secure base."

"That is good to know, Sasuke-sama."

It was almost time to wrap up. "Is there anything else concerning you, Izumo-san? If so, I would be honoured if you felt you could share it with me."

Izumo considered. "No. Kotetsu and I have decided to raise twin boys now that Ayame has moved into the crew room but that it not a concern."

Sasuke decided he had better start a tally: three babies so far.

* * *

_Kotetsu_

"I miss working with Shika-san. We have not had a research and development meeting for divs. I know he is busy. I know that Rin-san is occupied with Aiko-chan. I do drop in to Inryoku-san's laboratory regularly for a chat. Even so, it isn't the same as those meetings. They were very simulating and I was looking forward to Haru-kun joining the group."

Sasuke made a mental note to mention it to Shikamaru.

* * *

_Ayame_

"I am worried that Dad and Pa will be disappointed that I am thinking about becoming a medico rather than an engineer," Ayame confided.

Sasuke knew he was on firm ground. "Your parents are rightly proud of you, Ayame-kun. They would never be disappointed in you for following your dreams."

Ayame smiled her thanks, which would have been nice if the smile had been a little more genuine. "They do have Kei-kun. He's amazingly talented. His 3D awareness is incredible."

Had Sasuke known that? He knew Keizo liked helping Izumo. Then he was struck by a sudden thought. "Tell me more about why you want to be a medico, Ayame-kun."

Five minutes later his suspicion was confirmed. It was not about being a medico; it was about not being as good an engineer as Keizo.

"It can be difficult being fourteen," he told her. "I remember when I was fourteen. I was used to always being the cleverest but suddenly I was with Shikamaru and he was much cleverer than me. Then there was Naruto. He developed so quickly, like hybrids do. One div he was smaller than me and I was better that him at almost everything and then, suddenly, he was faster and stronger and beating me at everything, even piloting. I had always been proud of being good at that but Naruto was so amazing at it that it was like I was useless."

He was on the right track, he could tell from the way she was looking at him.

"In the end, I realised that it wasn't about being best, it was about doing my best. As long as I had done my best, I could be proud of myself and the people I cared about would be proud of me too."

Ayame blinked at him; he had noticed that she did that when she was thinking. "I do like working in the yard," she admitted.

"You will receive some training as a medico. Everyone does. Once you have done that you will be in a better position to compare being a medico with being an engineer. You are only fourteen, Ayame-kun, there isn't any rush."

* * *

_Isaribi_

This was the girl whom Naruto and Kiba were encouraging Ryuu to pursue. Apparently she was gentle and considerate and unlikely to take advantage of Ryuu's good nature.

"How are you enjoying your experience of Tarrasade, Isaribi-kun?"

She paused for a few moments before replying. "I very much like being in my crew room; I think living with the other youngsters would be too noisy for me and Misora-kun goes out of her way to look after me. The household is lovely, Sasuke-sama. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been; it is a pleasure to walk the corridors and be in the rooms."

Sasuke decided that he liked her.

* * *

_Naruto [part 2]_

"So what did you learn today?" Naruto asked from the other side of the bath.

"That Isaribi is as nice as you said she was and that Keizo has the potential to be a really talented engineer."

Naruto frowned at him. "You're not talking to Keizo until the day after tomorrow."

"Ayame told me," Sasuke explained. "Did you know that Enerugi and Tatsuji are planning to have a child?"

"Haku has discussed it with Kiba," Naruto confirmed.

"You didn't mention it."

"People tell you things when they want you to know. I don't want to spoil that for them."

It was an interesting thought.

"I would tell you anything I thought you really ought to know," Naruto added, "but Haku or Iruka would have got there first."

* * *

_Konan_

As usual, Konan avoided talking about herself. Sasuke used tea and her garden as a way in and Nagato as firm ground. She looked different; a little dreamy.

She told him that she was resolved to become more integrated into the crew, which he encouraged.

* * *

_Hana_

Sitting so close, Sasuke realised that Hana was beginning to age. It was a shock, even though she was a couple of standards older than Kiba and her age retard had started late.

For a moment, in his imagination, he was seeing those first signs around Naruto's eyes.

He pulled himself together. He returned to the difficult task of persuading Hana to think about her own needs rather than others'.

It proved hopeless. In the end he resorted to a direct question. "Is there anything I can do for you, Hana-san?"

"It would be nice if Shikamaru-san visited Konan-san. She expected him to do so when he returned to Tarrasade and he did not."

Sasuke tried again. "What about you, Hana-san?"

She considered. "No. There was only one thing I wanted, Sasuke-sama, and you did it."

He was lost.

"You got rid of Izuna-sama," she explained. "I did not like the way he looked at Konan-san."

* * *

_Hamaki_

"I like being back in Tarrasade but as long as we are with you, Sasuke-sama, protecting you, we are where we are meant to be."

"You have no concerns at all, Hamaki-san?" Sasuke pushed.

At least Hamaki thought for a few seconds before saying no.

* * *

_Terai_

"You have no concerns at all, Terai-san?"

"None, Sasuke-sama."

* * *

_Fu_

"You have no concerns at all, Fu-san?"

"Not at this time, Sasuke-sama."

It was only after Fu had gone that Sasuke realised what was worrying him; none of them, not even Hamaki, had mentioned Naomi.

He wrote himself a card and marked it urgent.

* * *

_Ryuka_

This scrap of a girl with her wary eyes was Kazuki's life partner. Worse, he had not chosen her. It had been a by-product of a careless overreaction to a pull on his tail.

How did she feel about him?

Her ears were slightly back but there was a look of determination in the amber eyes. "May I say something, Sasuke-sama?"

"That is one reason you are here, Ryuka-kun," he reminded her.

"I know no one wanted me here. I know that I was taken as a favour to Captain Bull. You choose your crew members but you got stuck with me. I want you to know that I know how lucky I was and that I have tried hard from the moment I joined the crew and I am sorry if my best isn't very impressive."

She paused to take a breath but before Sasuke could open his mouth she was off again.

"And I know you wouldn't have chosen me for Kazuki or for any of your children, because I'm not good enough. But I'm going to work hard and get better until even you think I'm worthy of him."

Sasuke was stunned. An unexpected lump formed in his throat. Luckily, the words he had said to Ayame came into his head. "It is not about being the best, Ryuka-kun, it is about doing your best. I think you are doing very well."

She stared at him. Her whiskers twitched. "You do?" she queried.

"I do. Ryuka-kun, can I ask you a question as a father rather than as clan leader?"

She nodded.

"How do you feel about Kazuki?"

She bristled slightly. "He's my mate."

It was a huge relief. "That is good," he acknowledged. "Now would you do me the honour of telling me a bit about yourself? What duties do you like best?" He almost asked her about her hobbies but stopped himself. From what he had gathered, the two of them spent all their spare time fucking.

Like him and Naruto before the children.

It turned out she liked trees; really liked them, perhaps as much as Shikamaru did.

"I was hoping that Shika-san would introduce me to the trees in the park," she told him, "but he hasn't has time so I had to introduce myself."

Once she had gone he selected various cards and added notes to each. He paused at the one with Shikamaru's name at the top.

So far five people had mentioned that Shikamaru had not had time to do something.

* * *

_Anko_

"I thought that life would be dull once we caught Orochimaru and Kabuto, but it hasn't been so bad. The girls, Mai, Naomi, Takara and Teruko, are at a really interesting age and it's good to see the older girls holding their own so well. Recruiting Isaribi and Ryuka was a good move and I'm looking forward to Ino and Sakura joining. I think I'll have more in common with them than with Tenten and Shizune."

Sasuke could imagine; at least to some extent. "Do you have any other concern that you would do me the honour of sharing with me, Anko-san?"

"Is that your way of asking about me and Shino?" she checked.

"I am always concerned for my crew members' well-being," Sasuke replied.

"You'd be better off asking him. I'm the one who mucks it up; he's the one who straightens it out." She was silent for a moment. "I know he wants to start having babies. He's so broody, I'm surprised he can function."

"We are well set up to support parents with children," he reminded her.

"I know that," Anko acknowledged. She fixed him with a frank gaze. "I'll be a crap mother, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke thought of Rin, who was so anxious about being a good parent, and Naomi's parents, who were not. "May I make an observation, Anko-san?"

"Feel free, Sasuke-sama."

"I believe that worrying about the type of parent you will be means that you are well on your way to being a good one."

She thought about that for a moment and then smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke-sama."

"You are welcome, Anko-san."

* * *

_Shino_

With Shino, it was about giving him time to construct his responses. Sasuke made tea; drinking it would give him something to do while he waited.

"As soon as you and Anko are ready, I will make sure that your duties fit around raising your children," he promised. "I understand that you will probably wish to be the primary care-giver. I always knew that having a family would be a priority for you."

While he waited, he recalled Naruto with the Aburame children; that moment when he had been given a glimpse of their future life together. Shino shifted in his chair, signalling that he was about to reply.

"That is kind of you, Sasuke-sama, but I cannot see Anko being ready any time soon. I shall continue contributing to the children's educational programme, instructing the trainees and working with Akemi. I believe that Keitaro will follow his brother and specialise in electronics and communications. I very much enjoy what I do, especially when we are in a space station where development work is possible."

Sasuke made a mental note not to send Shino on any more missions for at least the next few standards. He decided to ask about the type of development work Shino would like to do.

"I would like to work with Haru-kun," Shino admitted. "Perhaps in conjunction with Kotetsu-san. Haru-kun and I corresponded about developing automata for use on the toad hybrids' planet. We had some very interesting ideas but only pursued a few of them. Given the number of planets in the three new strings, I think it would be a very productive line of enquiry."

"I think that Haru would enjoy that. Perhaps you should ask Iruka-san for some of his time."

There was another pause before Shino replied. "I had thought of that, Sasuke-sama, but Iruka-san tells me that Shikamaru-san has claimed all of Haru-kun's available time over the next two divs."

* * *

_Naruto [part 3]_

"Did you really invite Izuna?" Naruto asked as they dressed in their uniforms.

"Of course," Sasuke replied fastening and tightening his belt. "He is a senior Uchiha. It was only polite." Sasuke had half-hoped he would accept, if only to see Izuna's reaction when he realised that Ino and Sakura were swearing to Sasuke personally.

"So you will let Kimimaro in if he turns up?"

"He declined, dobe."

"But you would have let Kimimaro in if Izuna had accepted?"

Sasuke sighed. "I believe that Kimimaro is now personally sworn to him so, yes, we would have to let him in. You know how it is; when you swear to Uchiha, whether to the clan or to a full blood Uchiha, you get a fresh start."

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "You need to change the rules."

"I can't. You know that. Amending the clan charter requires a vote of at least thirteen full blood Uchihas and nine would have to vote in favour of the amendment."

Naruto gave a small growl of disapproval as he pulled on his jacket. Then he shook himself as if trying to dislodge the notion of having a cold blooded murderer in their home. "What did you learn today?" he asked.

Sasuke was grateful for the change in subject. "Ryuka is more impressive than I thought and Hamaki, Terai and Fu are poor parents."

"Ryuka-kun is shaping up fine," Naruto agreed. "Hamaki, Terai and Fu love Naomi. They just don't get what it means to be a parent. Maybe it's the way they were raised. Maybe it's because Haku bails them out all the time."

"They should try harder," Sasuke complained.

"Did you learn anything else?"

Sasuke thought about mentioning Shikamaru but he decided against it; Naruto would start worrying and Sasuke wanted him to enjoy the celebrations.

* * *

...


	80. Interviews 17-25

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, Drago Imperiali, LillyTigress, roro237, donalgraeme, melissen, Laura-Jean95 and 'Guest' for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**80: ****interviews 17-25**

* * *

_Naruto [part 4]_

"You have to get up, teme. Now."

"Five more minutes," Sasuke pleaded.

"You've had three lots of five minutes. You either shouldn't have stayed up so late and drunk so much or you shouldn't have scheduled interviews for this morning."

"I am busy this afternoon," Sasuke explained.

"I know that, teme. You have to get up. Count of ten until I pick you up and dump you in the shower. Ten, nine, eight..."

Sasuke rolled out of bed, staggered into the head and locked himself in.

A few minutes later Naruto was hammering on the door. "No going to sleep in there, teme."

* * *

_Gai_

He must have been insane to schedule an interview with Gai for first thing in the morning.

"Coffee, Gai-san?"

"No thank you, Sasuke-sama," Gai replied with his overloud voice. "I do not drink coffee. Iruka-san says it pollutes the body."

Sasuke's body felt like a few pollutants would not make much difference. He had resorted to a wake-up shot and now every stimulus scraped across his senses like sandpaper. "Tea?" he queried.

"Tea would be most welcome, Sasuke-sama. Although it contains both caffeine and tannins, it is a source of anti-oxidants."

Sasuke did not care; it was going to hard enough to care about what Gai said during the interview. Maybe Naruto had been right; postponing would have been better than not giving people the attention they deserved.

He was still struggling when he reached his final question. "Have you any concerns that you would like to share with me at this time, Gai-san?"

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," Gai replied, which was unexpected.

"Please feel free to continue, Gai-san."

"I require some advice on an affair of the heart."

Sasuke blinked. Gai was in love? As far as he knew, that had never happened. Gai visited courtesans, preferably nice ones who treated him well. "I shall do my best, Gai-san."

"I have affections for a female member of the crew..."

Sasuke hoped it was not Ino or Sakura; not only were they interested in each other but Sasuke could not imagine either of them ever putting up with Gai's idiosyncrasies.

"...but she may still harbour affection for another."

Now it was getting intriguing. "I promise you that I shall be very discreet, Gai-san."

"It is Tenten-san."

Tenten? That could work. "The relationship between Tenten-san and Asuma-san has been over for some time, Gai-san. I believe she may be unattached."

"I do not see what she could see in me after being in a relationship with Asuma-san," Gai admitted.

He looked sad, which Sasuke discovered he hated to see. "You are an upstanding, reliable, loyal and valued member of Uchiha," he insisted. He cast about for something to say that was positive but not too encouraging; he did not know how Tenten would react to Gai's advances. "Tenten-san is better than that, Gai-san. She will see Asuma as Asuma and you as you."

Gai cheered up. "Tenten-san is a wonderful woman."

"Exactly," Sasuke reinforced. "Maybe you should try to do something together." He remembered the project he and Tenten had discussed. "I expect that you are aware that Tenten-san is interested in handheld weapons..."

* * *

_Shizune_

By the time he reached the last five minutes, Sasuke realised that he was going to know as little about Shizune at the end of the interview as he had at the beginning.

It upset him. He remembered how much Shizune had put into Naruto's care and recovery when his spine had been damaged. She deserved better from him.

"Shizune-san, I know that Uchiha can offer you more. Please help me discover what it is."

"I am very content, Sasuke-sama. It is an honour and a pleasure to be a member of Uchiha."

"Shizune-san, I order you to tell me what you aspire to do."

She looked shocked and he wondered if he had pushed too hard. Then she smiled. "I would like to lead on the educational aspects of medical care. I believe that Rin-san's strengths lie in research and in treatment."

He smiled in return. Rin was awful at teaching and they both knew it. "I shall investigate possibilities, Shizune-san. Thank you."

* * *

_Rin_

Even after all these standards, Rin still looked at him with the same mixture of suspicion and hope. He decided to play the baby card early.

"Aiko-chan is delightful. You must be very proud of her."

Rin scowled at him, which was not the reaction for which he had been hoping. "I did not expect her cognitive development to be so advanced. Haru picked up that her cognitive skills are far ahead of her motor skills."

"Haru?" Sasuke queried.

"Haru. It took him only a few minutes," Rin told him.

Sasuke tried to come up with a way of saying that Aiko was probably like Haru without actually saying it; Rin had always disliked Haru. "Naruto and I did not realise how advanced Haru was," he reminded her. "It took Shikamaru to see it."

"We think that her poor behaviour may be because she is frustrated," Rin admitted.

Sasuke thought back; Haru had got Kazuki to fetch and carry for him.

"I have researched the issue and we are going to start using baby sign language with her. It will allow her to communicate even though she is too young to form words."

"That is an excellent idea, Rin-san. Maybe it will also be useful for other, less exceptional babies."

The word exceptional made the desired impression when 'delightful' had not. Rin smiled and, for a moment, looked disconcertingly pretty.

"She does appear to have high cognitive potential," she admitted. Then the smile was gone and she was frowning again. "For my parents, conforming to behavioural standards was more important than fulfilling potential. I do not wish that to happen to Aiko."

Sasuke smiled. "I do not think that is very likely, Rin-san. New Uchiha is all about fulfilling potential."

* * *

_Dan_

It was only after Rin had gone that Sasuke realised that he had not mentioned Shizune. Maybe he could explore the subject with Dan.

Conversing with Dan was easy. Sasuke was soon onto his last question. "Have you any concerns that you would like to share with me, Dan-san?"

Dan smiled. "I am happier than I have been at any time in my life. Do you have any concerns, Sasuke-sama?"

After discussing Shizune's request, Dan recommended that Sasuke leave the matter in his hands. Apparently Rin would be more enthusiastic if she considered the idea her own.

"It is a good idea, so Rin is bound to have it," he explained. "It is a matter of providing seeds, so the idea germinates and grows."

Sasuke was fascinated. "Do you do this often, Dan-san?"

"Occasionally, Sasuke-sama," he admitted. "There is no harm in it. If the seed does not find a nourishing environment it does not grow."

* * *

_Ran_

Sasuke tried not to dwell on what Ran and Haru might be doing in Ran's room every evening and every night, particularly since Ran was an empath and might be able to pick up his hostility.

"Iruka-san is pleased with your progress, Ran-kun. Although your knife-fighting still needs improving, I understand that the lessons are having the desired effect."

Ran did not respond. He merely sat there and looked attentive. Sasuke decided to try a question. "Last time we talked you were interested in becoming a medico. Is that still the case?"

"I am less sure of that now, Sasuke-sama," Ran replied.

Sasuke decided to try looking as if he expected more.

"There are many aspects of being a medico for which I have little aptitude," Ran admitted. "I don't find the technical side interesting. I am not fascinated with how the body works. I like contributing to a team and I like looking after people. I am good at defusing tension. I have discussed it with Ir-chan and I am going to do more duties in the playroom."

That would be useful; Ran was as good with children as Ranmaru had been.

"I am also going to study psychology as a subject. Haku-san has agreed to set up a discussion group to help me because I struggle to make progress if I am studying alone."

Sasuke was struck how different Ran was from his children. Maybe it was because he had spent so much of his childhood isolated. "How do you see your future in Uchiha, Ran-kun?"

"How honest do you wish me to be, Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke assumed that was Ran's way of warning him. "As honest as you are comfortable being," he replied.

"I think my main role will be to support Haru. Any other role will be secondary. I will be his anchor and he will be my safe place."

* * *

_Keizo_

Sasuke only asked one question. "What is it that you like doing when you go to Izumo-san's shop?"

After that he just enjoyed Keizo enthusing about making stuff. The few times he paused, an encouraging nod or utterance was enough to get him going again.

Then they got onto engines; apparently engines were less fun but more intriguing that ships.

Sasuke looked at his young man, his son, who was so like Naruto yet so different from him. Then he remembered that Keizo had been Orochimaru's first choice and shuddered.

Keizo interrupted what he had been saying. "Papa?" he queried.

"Sorry, Keizo-kun. It was a bad thought that was nothing to do with anything you said. Tell me more about engines."

* * *

_Kazuki_

Kazuki perched on the edge of the chair. His fur was too bristly and his ears were slightly dipped, although he kept trying to push them forward.

"This isn't a telling off, Kazuki-kun," Sasuke assured him.

"Yes, Papa." His ears went back. "Should I be calling you Sasuke-sama? I mean, this isn't Papa-time."

"Papa will do fine." He cast about for what might be wrong. "I enjoyed my talk with Ryuka-kun. I feel that I know her a bit better now."

His fur settled. "She grows on you.".

"Yes, she does," Sasuke agreed.

* * *

_Haru [part 1]_

Haru's pants were two finger's breadths too short; he was definitely into a growth spurt.

"Iruka-sensei tells me that Shika-san had asked for all your available time. Are you working on something interesting?"

Haru's reaction was fascinating. He tensed slightly, paled and then flushed. When he answered he spoke too quickly. Sasuke recognised the signs; he had been up to something.

"Shi-chan wants to reduce the number of things that only he can do. We are looking at each of them and working out how other people could do them."

"Is it interesting?" Sasuke asked.

"Not really," Haru admitted. "There are only four outcomes. Either we change the procedure so anyone can do it, or I write a programme so anyone can do it, or we accept that only Shi-chan or I can do it, or it's one of the things that only Shi-chan can do. I'm going to review those later. So far we have examined two hundred and thirty eight procedures. Shi-chan won't tell me how many are on the list but I think there are thousands."

"Surely some of them are more urgent than others," Sasuke suggested.

"Shi-chan is really keen to get through them all. Ran says he's probably been making the list since I was a baby, so he's been waiting a long time, and that it's a really good thing to do because it will take some of the pressure off him and spread it across more of the crew."

It would appear that Ran gave good advice; Sasuke wondered if that was part of him being Haru's 'anchor'. "So you do not want me to have a word with him about going more slowly?"

"No thank you, Papa."

Sasuke knew that working with Shikamaru on standardising procedures was not what Haru was hiding. He employed his best stern Papa stare. "Is there anything else you should be telling me Haru?" It was a question that had proved productive in the past. Usually Haru's gaze went distant as he considered various small misdeeds.

This time he flushed deep red and could not hold Sasuke's gaze.

"Haru?" he demanded.

Haru's lips were pushed together to make a tight, thin line. Sasuke could feel his irritation building, as it always did when Haru decided to be stubborn. He opened his mouth to order Haru to comply, only to shut it again. Haru did not look as he did when he was being stubborn. He was upset.

He decided to try a different tack. "Does Ran know?"

Haru gave the tiniest shake of his head.

"Did you promise Shikamaru that you would not tell?"

Haru did not reply but his eyes said it all.

Sasuke's irritation became annoyance. He got up, went to the intercom and activated it. "This is Sasuke. I want Shikamaru in my office now."

He turned back to see Haru using a pocket interface. "I am pinging him," he explained quickly. "If he's in one of the simulators he won't hear the intercom."

The intercom clicked. _"This is Shikamaru. I am on my way, Sasuke-sama."_

His eyes went back to Haru. Shikamaru was senior crew, Haru was only a trainee. As tempting as it was to interrogate the two of them together, it would not be right.

"We will suspend your interview for now, Haru-kun."

"Papa?"

"We will continue later." He stood up, giving Haru no option other than to follow his example. He gestured towards the door.

Haru hesitated and then obeyed. "Yes, Papa."

* * *

_Shikamaru_

It was almost five minutes before the door announcer sounded. Sasuke had paced back and forth for the first two, told himself to calm down and then sat down at his desk. Disengaging from the simulator, dressing and walking down the corridor could easily take that long.

Sasuke opened the door. Shikamaru shambled in, looking even more disconnected than usual. "You wanted to speak to me, Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke did not ask him to sit. "I understand from Haru that you asked him to keep something secret from me."

"Not specifically from you," Shikamaru replied, still sounding like his mind was a million parsecs away. "From everyone."

"Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru jumped and Sasuke knew he had frightened him. It had worked, however; Sasuke finally had his attention.

"We have talked about this. It is bad enough that you keep secrets from me without you encouraging Haru to do the same. Worse, whatever it is, Haru is not comfortable with it."

Shikamaru flushed slightly. "I know."

Sasuke wanted to go around the desk, get hold of Shikaaru and shake him. Instead he made himself stay in his chair. "Out with it. Now."

"I've been researching extending canine-human hybrids' lifespans."

It was like a blow to the gut. Sasuke had made his peace with the decision to ignore Orochimaru's offer. It hurt to have Shikamaru dig it up again.

"You never said I couldn't," Shikamaru pointed out.

"Do not try that," Sasuke warned. "You know I would have said no if you had asked. Worse, you involved Haru. Raising his hopes. Persuading him to go against Naruto's wishes. No wonder he was upset. By the Lady, Shika, how could you?"

"I couldn't bear it," Shikamaru whispered.

Sasuke was incensed. "You think the rest of us find it easy?"

"No," Shikamaru admitted. "But I need to know there is nothing that can be done. That's what I thought before Orochimaru opened his mouth. If it's what I think after Haru and I have finished, then I can live with that."

Sasuke silently cursed Orochimaru; even killing him had not ended his influence. "But why involve Haru?"

"I can't find anything but it doesn't mean there isn't anything to find. Haru can find stuff I can't, like when he created the route finder."

Sasuke sighed. "Shika, the route finder was different. We knew there was a pattern because you could follow it even though you could not describe it."

"That's what Haru says," Shikamaru admitted.

"So he does not believe you will find anything?"

"Nothing Na-chan would consider doing," Shikamaru admitted. "We have a deal. He will do his best to find connections I have missed for a maximum of one div. After that, I have one div to find out if those connections lead anywhere. Once the two divs are up I admit there is nothing and I promise to stop looking."

Sasuke felt his anger draining away. Haru had dealt with it better than he would have done. "How far are you into this process?"

"About forty percent. He's tried everything he can think of but he's going to continue thinking about it for another nine days. He's given me a list of previously undetected connections. So far I have whittled them down to seventeen."

"And what would come next?" Sasuke asked.

"If any look hopeful, I plan to show them to Kotohime. If she thinks any of them could lead to a viable treatment, we would talk to Rin. If she thought any of them were a runner, she would talk to you."

Other than involving Haru, it was a reasonable plan. "There is no point me stopping you now," Sasuke admitted. "However, I expect you to keep your promise to Haru that you will stop at the end of the two divs.

* * *

_Haru [part 2]_

Sasuke decided to seek Haru out rather than summoning him and was rewarded by his dumbfounded expression as the door to his laboratory slid open revealing Sasuke standing on the threshold.

"Papa!"

"Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Sasuke looked about while Haru got him a chair to sit on. The room was filled with Haru-stuff, which was distinctly different to Shikamaru-stuff. There was a bushy plant in a pot, presumably a present from Inryoku to replace the one lost when the Oak was destroyed. Sasuke peered at it, only for it to shrink away from him and curl each of its fronds into a tight ball.

"It hates you too," Haru declared, sounding remarkably happy about it.

Sasuke responded with a slight scowl.

"I thought I was the only person it hated," he explained.

"It would appear not," Sasuke confirmed, sitting in the chair that Haru had placed for him. "Shikamaru-san and I have had a chat. He has told me what the two of you have been doing."

Haru flushed and looked guilty.

"I am not pleased about the way it started but, given that you are already involved and your involvement in the project is almost half over, you have my permission to continue."

"But not tell To-chan," Haru checked.

Sasuke imagined. "No, you are not to tell your oto-san. If you and Shikamaru find something, which I doubt, I shall think about how to present it to him."

"Thank you, Papa."

"On balance, you coped well with Shikamaru. I know what he can be like when he starts on something. However, it was still wrong. Whenever Shikamaru starts talking about keeping secrets it will be wrong."

"I understand, Papa."

Sasuke knew that fell short of agreement but decided that it would do for now. "I am glad you do. Now, your and Shikamaru's punishment is to come to the triplets' play this afternoon."

"But Papa!"

"No buts. I expect to see you there and I expect you to bring Shika-san."

* * *

_Naruto [part 5]_

"There is a good turnout," Naruto observed.

Sasuke agreed. For once Takara and Teruko had been as keen as Tsuneo to drum up an audience. Teruko had come up with the idea of proper invitations, written neatly on cards 'like Papa does'.

It had worked. As well as the usual collection of parents and siblings, Ino and Sakura were there, along with Anko and Shino. Sasuke could see Neji, Iruka, Kakashi and Choza in one row and Inari, Tayuya and Konohamaru in another. Interestingly, Sumaru was sitting with Ino and Sakura.

Hamaki, Terai and Fu walked in. "Naomi is in it?" he asked, surprised. Naomi was usually too shy to perform.

"Everyone is in it," Naruto confirmed.

Kisame, Itachi and Haku arrived next, followed by Haru and Shikamaru. Haru sat next to Hoshi and Shikamaru next to Neji.

"Good," Naruto observed.

Sasuke decided not to mention that he had ordered Shikamaru to be there.

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed softly.

Sasuke followed Naruto's gaze. Nagato's family had just come in: Konan, Hana and the Zetsus. With them was Asuma. He was obviously escorting Konan.

So that was what Konan had meant when she had said that she was looking forward to becoming more integrated into the crew. "When did that happen?" Sasuke whispered.

"No idea," Naruto admitted. The lights dimmed. "It's starting."

Sasuke settled down for the usual marathon, ready to be suitably appreciative at the appropriate moments.

To his surprise, it was well paced; someone must have persuaded Tsuneo that longer was not necessarily better. Everyone had been given a chance to do what they did best, which was nice.

Tsuneo managed to die twice yet still be alive at the end.

It was a triumph.

* * *

...


	81. Interviews 26-42

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, Drago Imperiali, , roro237, donalgraeme, melissen, 'Guest', Laura-Jean95 and LillyTigress for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**Chapter warning: this chapter includes intimacy between two adults in a loving relationship.**

This chapter has been edited to conform to the terms and conditions of this website. Sections considered too graphic are replaced by *****ooooo***** and some paragraphs have been edited.

The full version is on another site.

* * *

This is the second update this week. Have you read chapter 80?

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**81: Interviews 26-42**

* * *

_Naruto [part 4]_

"You could spread them out more," Naruto suggested. "People would understand if you moved some of them to other days. Trying to do eight a day was always ambitious." He peered at the schedule on the wall. "You're doing eight today and eight tomorrow?"

Sasuke scowled at him.

* * *

_Sakura_

Sasuke had almost changed the family portrait to a landscape; it was difficult to shake the memory of Sakura pouring over the images in his wallet. However, at the last moment, he left it be.

She was staring at it, which was worrying, but then she turned to him with a surprisingly disarming smile.

"You must be so proud of them, Sasuke-sama."

"I am," he admitted. "Takara-chan and Teruko-chan are particularly excited about two new female crew members. Thank you for sparing the time to attend their performance. I know it meant a lot to them."

"It was an honour to be invited, Sasuke-sama. I have to confess that it reminded me of my childhood."

"Tea?" Sasuke asked.

"That would be lovely, Sasuke-sama."

* * *

_Ino_

Ino also studied the portrait intently but said nothing. She sipped the tea Sasuke had served her and waited.

"These meetings are your opportunity to speak your mind, Ino-san," he encouraged.

"Did you design this way of living for the remaining elite fighters of old Uchiha?" she asked.

It was not a question he had expected her to ask. He thought back to when the crew of the Silver Leaf had merged with the remnants of Uchiha. "It started out that way," he admitted, "but it has evolved since then."

"It is very suitable for those who have been institutionalised," she observed.

It took him a moment to realise that she was referring to herself. He was not quite sure how to respond, so he chose to continue speaking about the elite fighters. "I wanted them to be as happy as was possible." He thought about Gai confiding in him about Tenten. "I think this environment gives them safety and support while encouraging them to find out who they can be rather than the person they were expected to be."

"I did not appreciate that when I decided this was the place for me," she admitted. "Sumaru-san was happy here so I thought that I could be also."

Sasuke wished he could be as sure that Sumaru was happy. He looked at the woman in front of him and found himself thinking about Sakura with her outgoing personality. Maybe, between her and Ino, they could get through the shell Sumaru had built around himself.

* * *

_Choza_

He looked at the small, lopsided cake and then at Choza. Why had Choza brought him a cake with pink icing? Choza knew he did not like overly sweet food.

"Please Sasuke-sama," Choza implored.

Sasuke took the small knife and cut it in half. It still was a bigger piece that he wished to consume. He cut one of the pieces in half again, put the knife on the plate and took hold of the morsel.

To his surprise it smelled good and tasted better.

"Naomi-chan made it," Choza told him.

Sasuke had eaten many of his children's offerings. It was one of the hazards of parenthood. None of them had tasted anywhere near as good as the little cake. "Naomi?"

Choza smiled. "I think she has a talent for it."

"Then we must encourage her, Choza-san," Sasuke replied, polishing off the other two pieces.

* * *

_Kiba_

Sasuke listened to Kiba talking about the orphanage in Sublevel C and how successfully the hybrid carers were raising the first half dozen of the children Shikamaru had rescued from Pein's ship.

"I am sorry that I took you away from both for so long, Kiba-san."

Kiba almost scowled at him. It was definitely a glower.

"But we really could not do without you," Sasuke added smoothly. "The triplets missed you so much. We all did. It was definitely the right decision for you to join us in Skyburrow." Kiba's expression confirmed that it had been the right thing to say; Sasuke mentally breathed a smile of relief. "Did you have any of Naomi's cakes?"

"Yes. She is surprisingly good at cooking. I do not know if it is talent or because she works so hard at it. She loves Choza very much, just as Choza loves her. He cares for all the children, but the children of the Old Uchiha elite fighters are special to him; Asuma's three and Naomi and now Ino-san. I think he likes seeing the boys he grew up with in them."

* * *

_Misora_

It was difficult to see Kurenai in Misora. Maybe a little in the way she held herself and how she moved. She was more obviously Asuma's daughter but much of her looks had to come from hidden genes that had not been manifest in her parents.

She reminded him of Biwako.

He listened as she talked about her life and her possible futures, making encouraging comments in suitable places. Once she finished he remembered to pay her the compliment he had prepared.

"Isaribi-kun told me how kind and helpful you have been to her since she arrived and how much she appreciates it. I would like to add that I appreciate it too."

Misora flushed slightly and smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke-sama."

* * *

_Keitaro_

Sasuke could remember when Keitaro had been everyone's darling; before the crew had been invaded by the big litter and babies had become the norm rather than a novelty.

He still was in a way; the sweet toddler had grown into a caring young man with Kurenai's warm eyes.

"Konan-san does Dad good," he told Sasuke. "She makes him behave and he's happier like that. Tenten-san was nice, but she put up with his bad habits. Then there's Nagato, he likes Dad and Dad likes doing stuff with him. Even Hana-san has stopped looking at him like she wants to pull his guts out."

Sasuke knew he should be gently reminding Keitaro that spacers did not talk about other spacers' personal lives but it was just too fascinating.

* * *

_Akemi_

Of the three of them, Akemi looked most like Kurenai.

"How is it going, Akemi-san?" Sasuke asked, wary of opening up wounds but wishing to express his concern.

"Better," Akemi admitted. "Neji-san has been a huge help." His eyes looked through Sasuke. "When things get bad I remind myself that he lived through what he did, which was much worse than what happened to me, and he has a full life and lovers and everything. Neji-san says that facing up to it earlier would have saved him a lot of pain so I am trying to do that."

Sasuke resolved to thank Neji. "You are brave, Akemi-san. I am proud of you. We all are. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Akemi hesitated for a moment and then spoke. "I wish we had caught him. The print. Or even found his body." His voice started to shake. "Maybe he's still out there."

"You are safe now," Sasuke assured him. "I confess that part of me hopes he is still somewhere."

Akemi looked at him in horror.

"Because then I could give him to Haku-san and you could watch him die."

Akemi thought about it and nodded. "Yes, that would be good. I will think about that. Thank you, Sasuke-sama."

* * *

_Asuma_

"Is there anything I should keep in mind when considering crew allocations, Asuma-san?" Sasuke asked.

Asuma scowled at him. "Someone has been telling tales," he complained.

"You did escort Konan-san to the performance yesterday," Sasuke reminded him. "I am very pleased for you and for Konan-san. You are a very lucky man."

The big man smiled. "I am that." Then, suddenly, he was serious. "We have both lost someone we thought we would spend our lives with. It means that we understand each other."

* * *

_Naruto [part 5]_

"What... has... got... into... you?" Naruto was only managing single words between Sasuke's insistent kisses.

Sasuke was not in the mood to discuss why, only what. "Quickie," he insisted. He lunged across the bed and dug Naruto's thingy from its usual place. Tossing it to Naruto, he thrust his hand under the lube dispenser.

"We haven't even got our clothes off," Naruto reminded him.

"Why not?" Sasuke replied

*****ooooo*****

Naruto flipped them over. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

Sasuke pulled him down for a kiss. *****ooooo***** All he wanted was for Naruto to drive away any thoughts of the future; to live in the glory of the now.

Maybe, just maybe, there was something for Shikamaru and Haru to find.

* * *

_Sumaru_

Sasuke knew he was not the only one to think that there might be something between Sumaru and the two newest members of the crew. Speculation was rife. It was amazing how much spacers could gossip without actually committing the faux pas of asking a direct question or naming names.

"I must thank you, Sumaru-san," he began and then paused.

Sumaru was very still. "I am sure there is no need, Sasuke-sama."

"No, I insist. Thank you for bringing two such skilled and experienced individuals into the crew."

Sumaru started to flush. "I am sure that I was not their reason for joining, Sasuke-sama."

"I disagree. You have represented the best of Uchiha to them."

"It is good of you to say so, Sasuke-sama."

"And I am certain that I can rely on you to make them welcome."

This time there was a definite blush. "I shall do my best, Sasuke-sama."

"You do that, Sumaru-san."

* * *

_Tayuya_

Tayuya seemed slightly different; more relaxed. It was good to see.

"Please remember, Tayuya-san, that you are always at liberty to come to me to discuss any ideas or concerns you may have."

She considered for a moment. "Beyond Inari and playing my flute, I'm not very good at knowing what I want," she admitted. "May I explain, Sasuke-sama?"

"Please do, Tayuya-san."

"I am much happier now there are more females in the crew, but I did not know I would be. Having Ryuka settle down and make such amazing progress has pleased me enormously but I did not realise how worried I was about her. Just glimpsing the possibility that Sumaru may have found someone, even if he has to share that someone with someone else, has lightened a load I did not appreciate I was carrying."

"It is good to hear that some of the recent developments have suited you, Tayuya-san," Sasuke replied trying to work out what she was saying about Sumaru. Was she suggesting that he liked Sakura? He made himself concentrate on Tayuya. "Perhaps now that you have realised this about yourself you will be more aware of your needs."

Tayuya thought about that and then smiled. "Or maybe I only really need Inari and my flute."

* * *

_Inari_

"Is there anything at all you wish to discuss with me, Inari-san?"

Inari considered. "Not at this time, Sasuke-sama."

Having checked, Sasuke felt at liberty to discuss Skyburrow. "I believe we need to establish a permanent presence in Skyburrow, with personnel cycling between there and here and any missions. I was wondering how you would feel about being in command of the Skyburrow base."

Inari's smile dismissed any concerns Sasuke had about Inari feeling sidelined if he were sent away from Tarrasade. "That would be a challenge I would relish, Sasuke-sama."

"Good. I would like you to consult with other members of the crew and prepare a proposal for us to discuss."

* * *

_Five_

It was even harder not to think about Five and Yuki than Kazuki and Ryuka or Ran and Haru. On the other hand, he could not help feeling a little sorry for Five; Yuki had him on a short leash.

"How do you see the next few standards panning out, Five-kun?" Sasuke asked.

"I would like to take full advantage of every opportunity to learn from other members of the crew and from the challenges you set me."

Sasuke could imagine him rehearsing that answer. "Even if it takes you away from Yuki?" he asked.

Five's ears pricked and his whiskers arched, as if he perceived the question as a trap. Sasuke felt a little guilty; perhaps he was not being completely fair.

"Neither Yuki nor I want to hold each other back," Five replied.

It was a good answer. "I am sure we can arrange things so that will not happen, Five-kun."

* * *

_Yoshimi_

"As long as I am with Ya-chan, I am happy, Papa," Yasushi assured him.

Sasuke had decided some time ago not to ask what 'being with Ya-chan' might mean. Naruto insisted that they be left alone, even if...

No, he was determined not to think about it. He looked at Yoshimi's persistently curly whisker; a constant reminder of how close they had come to losing him.

"Your oto-san thinks that you and Yasushi might benefit from spell on the Ninken if we could persuade Captain Bull to take the two of you."

Yoshimi's eyes lit up. "That would be awesome, Papa."

* * *

_Yasushi_

"Your oto-san thinks that you and Yoshimi might benefit from a spell on the Ninken if we could persuade Captain Bull to take the two of you."

To Sasuke's surprise Ya-chan's eyes filled with tears. "You would trust me to look after Yo-chan?"

Sasuke's throat closed. "Of course, Ya-chan," he managed. "What happened to Yo-chan wasn't your fault. It was Orochimaru's fault; both the original's and the print's. Do you think you and Yo-chan would benefit from being on the Ninken?"

"Oh yes, Papa." He smiled. "It would be awesome. But what about being close to you if Izuna-sama makes trouble?"

Sasuke noticed that Yasushi had thought of that when Yoshimi had not. "I have Kuuya and Yuki and Keizo." Sasuke assured him. "Later Yuki and Keizo may be assigned elsewhere and you and Yo-chan can be Kuu-chan's back-up."

* * *

_Ryuu_

"I know you would have liked to serve on the Ninken, Ryuu-kun," Sasuke admitted.

Ryuu's ears flicked. "It is more important for me to be with Hi-chan, Papa." He leaned forward a little and spoke in a low voice. "Between you and me, Papa, Hi-chan would hate it on the Ninken. He would feel at a disadvantage because so much of the communication is non-verbal. Hi-chan is not at his best when he thinks he is at a disadvantage."

Sasuke suppressed a smile. "That is very insightful of you, Ryuu-kun. And, perhaps, you would like to stay near Isaribi-kun?"

Ryuu flushed a deep red. "Papa!" he complained.

Sasuke brought out the covered tray he had prepared before their meeting. "Isaribi reminds me of my mother," he told Ryuu.

"She does?" Ryuu replied, obviously pleased.

"She does, so I picked out these things from the store rooms. They are things that my mother would have liked. I wondered if you would like to choose one as a present for Isaribi-kun. Maybe not to give her now but when the time is appropriate." He whipped away the cloth to display the selection.

Ryuu's gaze immediately settled on the hair combs, with their delicate enamel decoration in blues and greens. "May I take these, Papa?"

Sasuke smiled. "An excellent choice, Ry-chan. What about this box to put them in?"

* * *

_Hikaru_

It had been a long but satisfying afternoon; Sasuke was pleased

Last on the list was Hikaru. So far their discussion had been as productive as those preceding it. Hikaru had reacted well to the possibility of going back to Tarrasade as part of Inari's team. He was not worried that it would probably be Ya-chan and Yo-chan going on the Ninken rather than him and Ryuu.

He was even positive about Isaribi; Sasuke had been worried that he would be jealous.

"Is there anything else you would like to talk about?" Sasuke asked, already thinking about the notes he would make before the evemeal.

"Yes, Papa," Hikaru declared.

Hikaru looked tense so Sasuke poured them both another cup of tea to underline that the discussion could go on as long as was necessary. He then settled back in his chair and gestured Hikaru to continue.

"I want to have intimacy training like you did," Hikaru told him.

Sasuke froze with shock, which was a good thing because it meant he did not yell or jump up and start stalking up and down the room.

"I asked Kakashi-san how Uchiha males were prepared to become cats and he explained," Hikaru added helpfully.

Sasuke resolved to strangle Kakashi. "Trainees are no longer expected to be sexually intimate as part of their duties, so such training is no longer necessary."

Hikaru scowled. "Inari-san and Kono-san got to go with C-san when they were trainees," he pointed out.

"They were older than you," Sasuke answered, hoping that they had been. "Also, we no longer have a professional courtesan contracted to the crew."

Hikaru looked wistful. "I know. I remember C-san. He was beautiful." The dreamy expression vanished, replaced by determination. "Should I discuss it with Iruka-san instead?"

"No!" Sasuke ordered. Iruka would probably ask Haku to find someone. "I insist you leave it with me, Hikaru-kun."

* * *

_Naruto [part 6]_

"You need to calm down," Naruto told him.

Sasuke paused his pacing. "Calm down? Hikaru wants to visit prostitutes."

"He wants to experiment and there isn't anyone appropriate among the crew. He's being sensible."

"Sensible?" Sasuke began pacing again. "I thought the plan was to convince them that fucking was all about loving relationships."

Naruto scowled at him. "No, the plan was to teach them that fucking should be caring and appropriate rather than abusive. What if he doesn't find anyone to fall in love with? Do you expect him to be celibate?"

Sasuke did not know what he had expected. Probably for Hikaru to strike up some age-appropriate relationship like the other youngsters were doing.

"It could be a lot worse," Naruto suggested.

"How?"

"He could charm one of the other youngsters into bed just to experiment and end up hurting her."

"He likes girls?"

"I think he may be bisexual. Kiba agrees. Perhaps that's another reason he wants to experiment. He may feel under pressure to be male-only, given that he is Uchiha."

Sasuke sat down on their bed. "I do not want him seeing a stranger. He's too young. I was too young. It made my issues with intimacy worse rather than better."

Naruto sat beside him and rubbed his back. "You could tell him that. It might help."

Sasuke imagined himself talking to Hikaru and the questions he might ask. Just thinking about it made him nervous.

"I'll talk to Shi-chan about it," Naruto added.

"You'll what?"

"Talk to Shi-chan. I always talk to Shi-chan about problems with fucking. He always thinks of solutions."

Sasuke knew that, even if he would prefer not to admit it; Shikamaru had suggested quickies and thingies.

"When Lee and Gaara were on the small ship together, before they were lovers, Shi-chan sorted out virtual sex-stuff for Lee," Naruto continued.

"A simulator?" Sasuke queried. It was a wonderful idea; intimacy training without the stranger.

"Perhaps a professional would be better," Naruto admitted. "A simulator might be too tolerant."

Sasuke's mind boggled. "Simulator for now; professional, if necessary, when he is sixteen. That gives us time to find someone suitable and him time to mature a bit."

Naruto considered. "Shi-chan could work with Haku and Neji to make sure the simulator encourages appropriate behaviour."

"Yes," Sasuke agreed. He was much happier now that he had a solution.

"When are you seeing Hoshi?"

Why was Naruto bringing up Hoshi? "She's in the last batch."

"Have you thought about what to say if she makes the same request as Hikaru?"

Sasuke's mind was invaded by an utterly unwelcome image of a faceless man with his daughter. He wanted to beat the man senseless.

"Teme? We agreed that we would not treat Hoshi differently because she was female." Naruto reminded him.

"But..."

"Who was the best Uchiha of your parents' generation?"

"My mother." Sasuke replied automatically.

"And was she allowed to fulfil her potential?"

"No." Sasuke shut his eyes. Naruto was right. He had to get his protective instincts under control. Suddenly Ran, Ryuka, Isaribi and even Five seemed just fine. "You talk to Shikamaru about simulators."

"I shall talk to Shi-chan," Naruto assured him. "Now try to relax. Why don't I go tell Choza that we are going to eat in our rooms?"

It was tempting. "What about the triplets?"

"I'll ask Kiba if he is available to do bedtime. We can give them a little extra attention tomorrow."

Sasuke sat on the bed waiting for Naruto to return, unwilling to relax until he had confirmation that he would not be going through the usual routines of the evemeal and the triplets' bedtime.

Finally he arrived carrying a basket; Choza must have insisted on packing them a picnic.

"I thought we should go to the park," Naruto told him.

"Fuck in the park?" Sasuke queried in alarm. They fucked in their room, where it was private. Fluffy-soft-Naruto would be unhappy in an open environment like the park. The thought of growling-possessive-Naruto displaying in the park was exciting but could have repercussions.

"Picnic in the park," Naruto clarified.

Sasuke looked at him with suspicion.

"At most, a quickie in the park," Naruto bargained. "I'll pack my thingy."

"No put it in before we go," Sasuke insisted; he was not going to risk either fluffy-soft or growling-possessive Naruto making an appearance. "I'll find a more portable container of lube and a towel."

Naruto sighed. "So much for spontaneity," he complained but he grabbed his thingy from its usual position on the shelf by the bed and vanished into the head.

It was nice. They found a pleasant spot in a clump of birch trees. Sasuke spread the blanket and Naruto put the lube and towel within easy reach.

It looked like the food was staying in the basket for now.

They settled down on the rug and Sasuke decided to take the initiative. He pushed Naruto onto his back, slipped his hand under his shirt and kissed him on the lips.

Naruto kissed back.

*****ooooo*****

"Better... ...not... ...shriek," Naruto warned.

It was too late.

Naruto's hand clamped over his mouth, muffling most of it.

"What was that?" a female voice asked.

It took a moment for Sasuke to remember where he was; fucking in the park with, apparently, an audience. He thought about trying to pull his pants together but Naruto's eyes were warning him to be very, very still.

"I am sure it was nothing," a male replied. It was Ryuu. "Perhaps a bird."

"It didn't sound like a bird," the female observed and Sasuke realised it was Isaribi. "It sounded like someone in pain. Maybe we should check."

Sasuke felt awful. It looked like Ryuu had invited Isaribi for a romantic walk in the park, possibly planning to give her the combs, and they had managed to ruin it.

"No, really, it'll be fine," Ryuu insisted. "Let's go this way instead."

"But..."

"Issy, I think it may be a couple being... ...intimate."

"Huh? Oh! Making out? Do members of the crew make out in the park?"

"Yes," Ryuu answered. He sounded embarrassed. Sasuke felt sorry for him. "Particularly in the onsen but sometimes in the bushes or where the trees grow close together."

"Is that why you brought me here, Ruru?" Isaribi asked. She did not seem at all upset by the idea.

"No! I wouldn't!"

"That's a shame."

There was a short silence. "Is it?" Ryuu queried.

"Well I was hoping for at least a kiss," Isaribi informed him.

"You were?" He sounded more confident. "The tree house is a good place for a kiss."

"It is? How do you know? Do you kiss girls there often?" she teased.

"No! Just let me show you the tree house," he pleaded.

"That would be lovely, Ruru."

They stayed still until Naruto signalled it was safe to move by removing his hand from Sasuke's mouth.

"Do you think they knew it was us?" Sasuke asked.

"I am sure Ry-chan did," Naruto admitted. "He grew up listening to us fuck."

"Dobe!" Sasuke complained.

"We could apologise to him later."

Sasuke thought about it. "No, I think it would be best to pretend it never happened."

Naruto shrugged. "Proper quickie?" he suggested.

Sasuke thumped him on the chest. "Not a chance, dobe, at least not until we get back to our room."

"Let's be off then." Naruto wriggled out from under him, spilling him onto the blanket, and stood up.

Next thing Sasuke knew, Naruto had finished cleaning himself off with the towel, had done up his pants and was walking away with the basket.

"What about the picnic?" Sasuke called after him.

"We'll have it in the bath, like we usually do," Naruto replied over his shoulder.

Sasuke sorted himself out, grabbed the rest of their stuff and ran after him. A picnic in the bath sounded just fine.

* * *

...


	82. Interviews 42-54

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, Drago Imperiali, roro237, 'Guest', Laura-Jean95, LillyTigress donalgraeme and melissen for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**82: Interviews 42-54**

* * *

_Kakashi [part 1]_

It was the fifth time Kakashi had to dodge; this time Sasuke's foot brushed his hair. Kakashi danced away to a safe distance.

"Impressive commitment, Sasuke-sama, but I think we shall call it a day."

Sasuke did not comment; trying to kick Kakashi in the head had been surprisingly satisfying.

"Have I annoyed you, Sasuke-sama?" Kakashi asked as they sat together in the steam room.

"Next time one of my sons asks for advice about fucking, please refer him to Iruka or Naruto or, if you feel it necessary, to me."

"Ah, Hikaru-kun," Kakashi acknowledged.

"Yes, Hikaru-kun."

"I did refer him to you," Kakashi pointed out.

"Only after you told him that I had received intimacy training."

Kakashi had the grace to look embarrassed. "I confess I am not used to his style of persistent questioning. Ran is not like that. Neither were you."

"Naruto was pretty persistent," Sasuke pointed out. "And what about Shikamaru?"

"I did not feel the same compulsion to answer them," Kakashi admitted. "Hikaru reminds me a little of your father."

He did not know what to say to that.

"I do not know why he came to me," Kakashi complained.

Sasuke had his suspicions. When Haru had hacked into Rin's files he would have found out that a fifth of Hikaru's chromosomes had come from Kakashi; he must have told Hikaru.

He did not want to tell Kakashi that; he had asked not to be told if they used his chromosomes. "Naruto thinks he is bisexual. Maybe, out of the male bisexual members of the crew, he felt most comfortable speaking to you."

Kakashi looked unconvinced. "You'd have thought he would have gone to Inari," he pointed out. He thought about it a bit longer. "How does he even know I find females attractive?"

Sasuke settled for a shrug.

"Are you going to arrange for him to see someone?"

"No," Sasuke replied.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Not at this time. He is too young. I was too young. We may decide to look for another courtesan but not as an urgent priority."

"He's an adolescent male. I doubt if he is good at waiting," Kakashi pointed out.

"Naruto is going to ask Shikamaru."

Both of Kakashi's eyebrows shot up. "I agree that Shikamaru is flexible but..."

"No!" The mere thought of Hikaru with Shikamaru was horrendous on so many levels. "For something virtual, maybe using a simulator."

Kakashi considered. "It may work," he agreed. "I suggest you don't allow Shikamaru to work on it without someone to make sure it remains appropriate."

"I was going to ask Iruka."

"Good choice," Kakashi confirmed.

They sat in silence for a while. It was nice. Finally Kakashi shifted slightly, warning Sasuke that he was about to speak.

"I am concerned about Shikamaru. Something is worrying him."

Sasuke decided to confide. "He's latched onto what Orochimaru said about extending canine-human hybrids' lifespans."

"And?"

"He started to work on it without telling me. With Haru. They were halfway through some research before I caught on." He sighed. "I said they could complete what they had planned. Haru does not think they will find anything, but I have decided that not allowing Shikamaru try is a mistake."

"Also pointless," Kakashi observed. "He'll do it anyway and forbidding Haru will put him in an impossible situation between the two of you. Who knows what they are doing?"

"Just you. I would like it to stay that way unless they find something."

Kakashi looked concerned. "Don't get your hopes up, Sasu-kun."

"I won't," Sasuke promised.

* * *

_Iruka_

Sasuke was determined not to tell Iruka about Shikamaru and Haru's research; it was not fair to raise his hopes when success was so unlikely. To avoid talking about what was bothering Shikamaru, Sasuke steered the conversation to Hikaru's request.

"You would have happily sent him to C-san," Iruka pointed out.

It was true; Sasuke would have trusted C-san.

"We should look for someone," Iruka suggested.

"I shall ask Haku and Itachi to do some research," Sasuke promised. "Meanwhile, I am would like us to investigate an education programme, perhaps using simulators."

Iruka's eyes widened.

"Within strict limits and defined parameters," Sasuke added quickly.

"I am unconvinced," Iruka admitted. "It is not about mechanics, it is about intimacy." He sighed. "I concede it could be worth investigating provided they understand that it is no more than augmented masturbation. However I wish to make it clear, Sasuke-sama, that I see it as a stop-gap until a more suitable solution can be found."

"I understand, Iruka-sensei," Sasuke assured him. "Now back to you, are you sure there is nothing you need that I can arrange or provide?"

* * *

_Moegi_

"I apologise that you had to suffer through Izuna-sama's attitude toward you and towards Udon-san," Sasuke admitted.

"It was unpleasant," Moegi admitted. "However now he has gone. It is good to have everyone together again.

"I am honoured each time Udon-san chooses to visit my household or to eat at my table," Sasuke assured her.

She coloured a little and smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke-sama." Then her smile vanished and she bit her lip. "Udon says that there are a lot of hybrid bodies coming down the disposal chutes into Scavenger territory. Far more than there used to be."

Sasuke did not like the sound of that.

"I know Kimimaro is in Tarrasade. Also that woman."

"Kurotsuchi," Sasuke supplied.

"Yes, her. I wondered if their people are attacking hybrids. Udon says the people they are killing are mostly old, well past their peak. He wonders if the HDF should go to the Scavengers and say that they'll pay double the going rate for the bodies. That way they can monitor what is happening."

It was an excellent idea. "Thank you, Moegi-san, and please thank Udon-san for the information. I shall also thank him personally next time I see him."

* * *

_Kamatari_

"And you are sure you are content, Kamatari-san?"

"It is good that Kono-san is back," he admitted. "Working with Gai-san and Itachi-san was not the same. Also I would like to visit Skyburrow sometime and see the toad hybrids' planet."

Sasuke made a note. "And in yourself, Kamatari-san?"

Kamatari twitched his nose and gave a cheeky grin. "Is that your way of asking about my sex life, Sasuke-sama?"

He opened his mouth to object, even though, in essence Kamatari was correct.

"I can assure you that it is fine. There are always female members of the crew who appreciate a male with skills."

Sasuke gawped at the thought of it. Then he pulled himself together. "That is good, Kamatari-san."

"Indeed it is, Sasuke-sama. Indeed it is."

_Konohamaru_

"I confess I feel torn," Konohamaru admitted. "For me, working with the Gama and the other toad hybrid tribes is more challenging, but my knowledge and connections make me more useful here."

Sasuke sat up. Konohamaru was not asking him for his opinion, he was telling him. "Kono-kun?"

"I have had my ear to the floor since we arrived and I have visited Grandfather twice. Izuna-sama is up to all manner of things. He is making deals; chunks of future preferential treatment from Uchiha in return for support now. He knows that having the three grated strings of systems means that Uchiha will be fabulously wealthy, even if credit flow is an issue at the moment."

Sasuke swallowed.

"The problem is that he does have a claim to the leadership. He is Izuna Uchiha. He was never declared dead. People can feel justified in supporting him."

"You have seen what he is like, Kono-kun. I cannot hand Uchiha over to him."

"You could," Konohamaru suggested. "Then Kuuya could challenge. He would be dead and Kuuya would be Uchiha-sama."

It was an option no one else had suggested.

"It is a game we may be able to control," Konohamaru suggested. "You should consider it. The longer you leave it, the more time he has to build his new power base."

* * *

_Itachi_

Sasuke was still thinking about what Konohamaru had said when Itachi arrived. He made himself put it aside; while he wanted to discuss it with Itachi, it should be at a strategy meeting, not now.

"Thank you for managing the Izuna-sama situation for so long," he began. "I am extremely grateful."

Itachi gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "That side of things was not difficult. Being Uchiha's representative in Tarrasade was more challenging. It was difficult to get people to focus on Gai-san instead of coming directly to me."

Sasuke could imagine. Whatever the reality, many people still thought of Itachi as Uchiha. "Perhaps some time away?" he suggested.

"Izuna-sama is still a threat," Itachi replied. "I believe that Haku-san and I know him best. He is also frightened of Kisame in a way that he is not frightened of Naruto or even Sumaru."

That was useful to know. "Is there anything I can do for you, Itachi-san?" Even asking the question hurt. Itachi was still his beloved brother. Itachi was still the man who had murdered his mother.

"No, Sasuke-sama. All I wish is to do my duty and for Kisame to be happy. Living with Haku and the children makes Kisame very happy."

Sasuke knew that was only half of it; being Itachi's lover made Kisame happy and that was only possible with Haku to bridge the gap between them. "You would come to me if there was anything you needed?"

Itachi finally looked at him properly. "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

* * *

_Kisame_

"May I speak to you as if I were sworn to your personally, Sasuke-sama?" Kisame asked.

"I consider you so to be, Kisame-san," Sasuke assured him.

"You are honourable because you believe it in your heart. Izuna-sama is honourable because it is expected of him. It conforms to it but he does not live it. This is not the Izuna Uchiha of legend." Kisame smiled. "Whoever wrote his biography did an effective sanitising job. It makes you wonder if his brother was all bad."

It was an interesting thought. Maybe all the bad stuff had been assigned to Madara and all the good stuff to Izuna. After all, Madara had died without offspring and it had been Izuna's sons and grandsons controlling what was written.

"I know the situation is not resolved, Kisame-san," Sasuke admitted.

"It won't be until Izuna Uchiha is finally dead," Kisame pointed out.

"I know that, Kisame-san." Sasuke was thinking about Konohamaru's suggestion. He pulled his attention back to the present. "Is there anything I can do for you or that you wish to discuss with me, Kisame-san?"

Kisame did not even pause. "I have everything I have ever wanted and more, Sasuke-sama. Thank you."

* * *

_Haku_

Sasuke had set extra time aside for Haku. They may not need it but there was no way Sasuke was going to cut Haku off in mid flow.

He had chosen smarter clothes than usual and brought one of the best tea sets out of storage. He decided to set the display frame to a beautiful painting.

Sure enough, when Haku arrived he was wearing one of his better kimonos.

They talked for far longer than twenty minutes. Every so often Haku would admit to something he would like changed or provided and Sasuke would make a mental note.

He knew how much he owed Haku. It was as he had whispered in Haku's ear all those standards ago; Iruka might be the head of his household, but Haku was queen of his crew.

* * *

_Neji_

Neji held up the teacup and admired the pattern in the translucent ceramic. "I am guessing that Haku-san was before me," he observed with a slight smile.

Sasuke nodded.

"Good," Neji acknowledged. "If you were getting the best crockery out for me I would be anxious that something was amiss."

It was true. For Neji, Sasuke would usually pick the simpler of his two usual tea services. "How are you, Neji-san?" he asked as he poured.

"Well," Neji assured him. "I believe that I can now say that I am stronger, maybe even happier, than I was before Hinata."

It was a large step forward from their last in-depth conversation. Sasuke indicated that he should continue.

"I thought I was committed to Uchiha before but, in retrospect, I was always holding a little back," Neji admitted. "Now I have no such reserve. Hinata is a kind and good person but to fulfil her obligations to Hyuga she felt compelled to be deceitful and cruel. I used to insist I was not Hyuga. Now I am not. There is no trace of even nostalgia."

Sasuke understood. It was not about loyalty; it was about ties and Neji's had finally been broken. "Uchiha is your home," he insisted.

"Uchiha is my home," Neji echoed. "And, perhaps, what I have with Shika is also better. It is more honest. It no longer teeters on the edge of trying to be something it is not."

Did he discuss Shika with Neji? Sasuke decided that he would, but not now. Perhaps at one of the meetings that would follow this series of interviews.

* * *

_Yuki_

"This is very pretty, Papa," Yuki observed, turning the teacup in his hand.

Sasuke had been thinking that Yuki looked lovely. He was wearing an exquisitely embroidered kimono-type tunic over pants. His long hair looked like spun gold; the front was twisted up and secured with decorative rods that Sasuke suspected could double as weapons. The blue sapphires in his ears were a perfect match for his eyes.

"You and I should have a walk around the storerooms, Yu-chan," he suggested. "You could pick out a few things for when you entertain."

"That would be awesome, Papa," Yuki replied, his eyes shining at the mere thought of it.

"We will do that then," Sasuke promised and then pretended to be stern. "I thought that we decided that you were too young to run a crew room, Yu-chan, yet I hear from Haku-san and Iruka-san that you are doing so."

Yuki flushed. "I am only trying to help Haku-san."

"Yes, well, Haku-san has decided that he needs to keep a closer eye on you, so we are going to give you your own office adjoining his."

It took a moment for Yuki to catch on. "Papa!" he scolded. "I thought I was in trouble."

"You will be if you do not work closely with Haku-san and Iruka-san, including going to them for advice," Sasuke warned him. "I am very proud of you, Yuki, and I know that your oto-san is too."

* * *

_Hoshi_

Unlike Yuki, who like the other kits and Ryuu were young adults, Hoshi was still a youngster; a girl. However, in contrast to Hikaru and Haru, she did not seem in any rush to grow up.

"There are so many things for me to learn, Papa," she assured him. "Haku-san helps me take full advantage of the expertise of the crew and Iruka-sensei helps me with my study programme." She smiled and, for a moment, reminded him of his mother. "Then there is my music. It is good to be having lessons with Daikoku-san again, even though I preferred being taught by you, Papa."

Sasuke resolved to find time for them to play together.

"Daikoku-san asked me if it would be possible for me to go to concerts in the Arts Centre," Hoshi hinted.

"We could arrange that," Sasuke promised. There would be security issues but it would fit with their plan to have a higher profile in Tarrasade. Even if it had not, he wanted Hoshi to have the chance to listen to talented and skilled musicians.

Maybe they could go together. Or, if not, he could try to persuade some of the musicians to come to play in the household.

* * *

_Kuuya_

Sasuke had not expected seeing the heir's ring on someone's finger to bring back so many memories. He had discovered that he was grateful. It was the Itachi he wanted to remember; the big brother who had gone out of his way to make time for him.

Now the ring graced his son's finger and Kuuya had risen wonderfully to the challenge.

He was so like Naruto and yet so different. He was much more confident than Naruto had been at that age. Not being bonded meant that he was devoted equally to all members of the pack rather putting a single person first.

In a few standards, when he reached maturity, he would be truly magnificent.

"I am so proud of you," Sasuke told him.

Kuuya flushed. "Thank you, Papa."

Sasuke was careful to work through all aspects of crew life: accommodation; present duties; future duties; training; plans for the future; concerns. Kuuya brought up a few minor points and made some useful suggestions.

As they talked, Konohamaru's suggestion crept into Sasuke's mind. If they went that way and it worked out, Kuuya would be Uchiha-sama and he would be merely Sasuke-san.

He could concentrate on Naruto and the triplets.

Whether they used Konohamaru's suggestion or not, Kuuya was heir and, as such, had to be prepared. "From now on, Kuuya-kun, I want you to attend the strategy meetings."

Kuuya's eyes widened. "Yes, Papa. It will be an honour."

* * *

_Kakashi [part 2]_

For Kakashi, Sasuke put the tea set away and prepared sake. He knew that Kakashi preferred whisky, but he was still smarting from Kakashi having told Hikaru about his intimacy training.

Kakashi stiffened as he saw Sasuke approaching with the tray bearing the tokkuri and the ochoko. "Do you know why we always choose whisky, Sasuke-sama?"

"No, Kakashi-san," Sasuke admitted.

"Because your mother served us tea but we had to serve your father sake."

Sasuke turned, intending to return the sake to the alcove in favour of whisky.

"No, bring it," Kakashi insisted. "We do appreciate that you serve us sake and that you do it so perfectly. It reminds us both of your father and how unlike him you are." For a moment Kakashi's expression was far away. "He would have beaten me to within a hairsbreadth of death if I had told one of his sons a personal detail about him. Any other non-Uchiha he would have killed."

Sasuke shuddered.

"You never ask about him," Kakashi observed. "Even when you want to."

"It is not fair to ask people to remember," Sasuke replied.

He sat down and served the sake.

Kakashi sipped his and smiled. "This is good," he acknowledged. "Sometime I feel sorry for Izuna-sama,"

"You do?" Sasuke queried.

"He would have seemed a pleasant alternative to your father and the clan leaders that preceded him."

It was true but irrelevant. "He would have never made it out of the pod," Sasuke pointed out.

Kakashi considered. "I do not know. Your father thought of himself as honourable."

Talking about Izuna reminded Sasuke of what Konohamaru had said. "Konohamaru suggested that I give the leadership over to Izuna and sit by while Kuuya challenges."

Kakashi stiffened. Sasuke could feel him forcing himself to relax. "How do you feel about that?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke had been thinking about that on and off since speaking with Konohamaru. "It is a clever idea but it does not feel right. I don't know if it is the thought of giving the leadership to Izuna, even for a moment, or giving it up or Kuuya becoming leader when he's so young." He thought about it a little longer. "It's a way of killing Izuna without breaking the rules but it does not feel honourable. It is against the spirit of the clan. Not that Izuna understands the spirit of the clan, which is crazy because we always thought it came from Izuna Uchiha. Kisame says that his sons and grandsons must have written all the stories to put him in a good light. He even suggested that perhaps Madara was not such a bad person as the stories suggest."

Kakashi scowled. "Kisame always was a bit of a scholar," he admitted. "I also do not like Kono-kun's idea, as clever as it is. It is honourable in function but not in intent. It says that you doubt your worth as clan leader. Also Kuuya is not ready to lead."

Sasuke imagined what Naruto would say about him transferring his burden to Kuuya's young shoulders. No; the suggestion was not even worth discussing.

* * *

_Naruto [part 7]_

Naruto arrived within seconds of Kakashi leaving, which was unexpected but welcome. Instead of perching on Sasuke's desk as he usually did, he went and sat in the interviewee's chair.

Sasuke got the message. Naruto had not been on his list; it had ended with Kakashi. He settled into the chair opposite.

"Is there anything you wish to discuss with me, Naruto-san?" he asked.

Naruto made a show of considering. Then, instead of making a joke or suggesting they fuck on the rug, he looked suddenly serious. "What are Shi-chan and Ha-chan up to?"

Sasuke did not hesitate for a moment. "What Orochimaru said about extending canine-human hybrids' lifespans has got into Shika's head. Haru has been trying to manage the situation and, now that I have found out, I am going to help him."

Naruto scowled.

"You know what Shikamaru's like. He won't stop thinking about it, whatever we say to him. He recruited Haru without my knowledge or permission. Haru made him promise that he would give up after two divs. Now that I know what they are up to, I think the best way to handle it is to make sure Shika keeps that promise."

"If there was something useful for him to find he would have found it standards ago," Naruto complained.

Sasuke knew that was not necessarily true. The situation had changed. They had only acquired all of Orochimaru's records after defeating him. The special code Shikamaru and Haru had designed could read databases that had previously been inaccessible. "Try to accept that he has to be satisfied," he suggested. "At least Haru's hopes have not been raised. He believes that there is nothing to find that you will or should agree to do."

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "I should be cross with Shi-chan."

"But you aren't?" Sasuke suggested.

"Shi-chan is Shi-chan," Naruto admitted. He suddenly gave a brilliant smile. "What about a quickie to celebrate the completing of the interviews?"

That, Sasuke decided, was an excellent plan.

* * *

...


	83. Promise

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, Drago Imperiali, roro237, 'Guest', Laura-Jean95, LillyTigress donalgraeme and melissen for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. Reading a review can made my day.

* * *

**We may be going back to Saturday only postings because of pressure of work. I think, for now, you should look at any Wednesday update as a bonus but not expect one.**

******There was a Wednesday posting this week. Have you read chapter 82?**

* * *

**Story warning: this story includes male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**83: Promise**

* * *

Haru had been working on Shi-chan's list of procedures. It was still boring but he was now much better at it, even when he was working on it on his own, like this morning.

Shi-chan was busy checking out the connections Haru and Sai had found. Haru wondered if he would stop looking once the two divs were up. It didn't seem very likely; he was still obsessed with working out what Orochimaru had been offering.

Haru missed the old Shi-chan, the one who had always found time for trees and stories. He checked his chronometer. It was time for his midmeal.

He was always hungry these days; Iruka-sensei said it was because of the growth spurt.

Ran was eating at the children's table. He was feeding Aiko, whose aim seemed to be to get the puree anywhere other than in her mouth. The adult's chair at the other side was empty. Haru looked about; none of the people who would usually take it were about.

He sighed, took a deep breath and went for it; Ran might appreciate it.

It earned him an approving comment from Kiba-san at the head of the table, which was an unanticipated bonus. Tsuneo and Nagato smiled at him, Sumiko scowled and the other children ignored him.

Aiko didn't. She squealed her delight, windmilled her arms and then managed to land a blow on the rim of her bowl.

It wasn't a proper baby bowl. Haru watched as it was flipped up and over, spreading the bright orange contents in an arc across Ran on its way to clatter onto the floor.

The boys laughed and the girls, other than Naomi, sniggered.

"You go and clean up, Ran-kun," Kiba-san suggested. "Haru-kun, maybe you could take over?"

"Me?" Haru queried.

"You," Kiba-san confirmed.

Haru dug a proper baby bowl out of the back of one of the cupboards. It was heavy and wider at the base than the rim. He then went and got some more of the orange puree from the jar on the side. He dipped the end of his smallest finger in and tasted it. It was bland but nice; he didn't understand why Aiko didn't want to eat it.

Once he had a fresh baby spoon he was fully armed and ready for action. He settled into the chair Ran had been occupying and looked at the orange-splattered baby in front of him.

She made a gesture, pointing at her mouth with her fingers.

"That's the baby sign language sign for eat," Takara informed him.

"Baby sign language?"

"Rin-san thinks she wants to talk but her mouth can't make the words yet," Sumiko explained. "So we're using sign language for now."

Aiko's gesture was becoming more urgent. Haru responded by scooping up a small amount of puree and guiding the spoon into her mouth.

"You need to tip it up," Teruko told him helpfully.

He did so and the puree slid off of the spoon. Most of it ended up in the right place.

He then withdrew and waited for her to make the gesture again.

After a few minutes Ran reappeared wearing a fresh top and sat down where Haru had been sitting.

"That appears to be working," he observed.

"What?" Haru asked, patiently waiting for Aiko to signal that she wanted more.

"Letting her decide. It is that or she likes you."

Haru wasn't sure if he was comfortable with the idea of Aiko liking him; he was sure Rin-san wouldn't be.

By the time Aiko was fed, Dan-san had appeared. He scooped Aiko out of her chair and took her off to be washed and cuddled. Haru watched them leave. Seeing them together was good in a way he did not really understand.

"You need to eat something," Ran reminded him. "Why don't you move to the other table?"

Haru had forgotten how hungry he was.

"You go with him, Ran-kun," Kiba-san suggested. "Now that Aiko-chan has gone, we will cope very well."

He slowly munched his way through what Ran kept adding to his plate; he still ate slowly so now meals took even longer. The first batch of people, all adults trying to avoid the rush, had been and gone. The table was filling up with youngsters, mixed in with the adults who did not mind the noise.

"Do you know what the meeting his afternoon is about, Ran-kun?" Hoshi asked.

"Ir-chan asked me not to discuss it," Ran replied.

Haru stopped chewing. Ran hadn't told him that.

Ran nudged him. "Eat."

Hoshi was studying him. "Maybe Choza-san would make you some high energy drinks."

"That's a good idea," Ran agreed.

Haru wasn't sure; he liked his food to start out solid.

All the youngsters were at the meeting. Haku-san was at the top of the table next to Iruka-sensei, so it was queen-stuff rather than education-stuff.

Yuki was giving out boxes. There was one for each of them.

"Please do not open the boxes yet," Iruka-sensei told them.

It turned out to be about fucking or rather not fucking. It was about what to do if you wanted to fuck and you either did not have a partner or you were separated from your partner.

Haru didn't see what was wrong with using your hand in the shower but it would appear that he was the only one who thought that way. Even Ran was examining the stuff in his box. The girls were over on one side of the room talking in low voices and then laughing loudly. The kits were larking about with what Iruka-sensei had described as their groin interfaces.

"Iruka-sensei, can we go and try them out?" Keizo asked.

"Feel free," Iruka-sensei replied. "The meeting is over."

Ran was folding up his whole body sensor net and replacing it in his box.

"They are just simulator interfaces," he reminded Haru gently.

"I know," Haru admitted. "I even understand that using them is better than going with someone just for the sake of a fuck." He looked at Ran. "I prefer what we have," he whispered.

Ran smiled at him and touched the back of his hand. "So do I."

* * *

Shikamaru knew he had something before he could pin it down; some part of his mind must have seen the significance of one of the connections Haru had found. After a day or two he managed to form the first of five questions. By the time he and Sai had answered all five, he was satisfied that he knew what Orochimaru had been offering and that there was probably a way of making it work.

Orochimaru had researched the differences between the ways that canine and human genes were expressed in canine-human hybrid cells. He had hypothesised that if you could switch off the canine genes responsible for cell ageing and switch on the human ones, the cells should age more slowly.

Only his methods for switching on and off genes were too crude. There was no guarantee that only the targeted genes would be affected. The most likely outcome was that the cells would start malfunctioning.

Centre was expert at switching on and switching off genes. They might not believe in genetic engineering but gene switching was considered therapy and therefore permitted. However, all their research was human-specific. Centre did not care about dogs or wolves or foxes.

Shikamaru hoped that Kotohime could adapt their techniques to work for canine genes.

Finally there was issue of controlling which cells received the treatment. Centre struggled with that and Orochimaru hadn't had a clue.

The answer was to use nanobots; Shikamaru was sure of it. Nanobots were Fringe technology and Shikamaru knew that Rin kept abreast of the latest developments.

He put together everything he had and added some ancient information he had dug out on canine genomes. Once he had sent that off to Kotohime, he went to find Rin.

He leaned on a wall in the infirmary and waited for her to acknowledge him.

"Shikamaru-san."

"Rin-san. May I speak with you in private?"

"Certainly, please come into my office."

They went in and sat down.

"Orochimaru tried to buy his life by promising to increase Na-chan's lifespan," Shikamaru began.

Rin stiffened and then relaxed. "Sasuke-sama still slit his throat."

"Sasuke-sama still did what was right," Shikamaru agreed. He paused for a moment to allow that thought to sink in. "It made me wonder and I have dug out this."

He activated an interface, linked it to her projector and started showing her what he had found. He could tell that she was taking it all in.

"The human genes already have a significant influence on the cellular ageing process," she reminded him. "Canine-human hybrids live much longer than canines."

"I know," Shikamaru acknowledged. "I was hoping that we might be able to push it a bit more. Even Orochimaru was only offering another three to five standards for an adult; maybe a decade for an adolescent."

"It is worth looking at," she conceded. "Have you sent this to Kotohime-san?"

"Yes, it won't work without a better understanding of the canine genes and their switching mechanisms."

Rin took the interface from him and went back to the section on Orochimaru's work. "There is a lot of very sound research on canine genomes here," she admitted. "He had been working specifically on fox genes."

Shikamaru was not surprised. If he had acquired Keizo, Orochimaru would have wanted to keep him for as long as possible. He decided to take a risk. "Even two or three standards would mean so much to many of us."

She did not look at him but she nodded. "I know that. Leave it with me, Shikamaru-san."

It had gone as well as could be expected; Shikamaru stood up and moved towards the door.

"It must have been very hard for Sasuke-sama to do the right thing," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

Shikamaru breathed a small, silence sigh of relief. Rin would not push herself to her limits for Naruto or even for him but she would do it for Sasuke.

Mission accomplished, Shikamaru checked his chronometer and discovered he was meant to be working with Haru on standardising procedures.

When he arrived at Haru's workroom, Haru had knocked another sixty-three procedures off the rapidly dwindling list. Seven had been sidelined because they required Haru and Sai to write code. There was one that Haru did not understand.

"I am sorry that I am late," Shikamaru admitted.

Haru flashed him a quick smile of forgiveness. "Sai said you were busy."

They worked on the procedure that Haru had struggled with and decided it could be replaced with something else that was longer and more tedious but a lot simpler.

"I'll write some software to speed it up," Haru promised. He looked at Shikamaru with a wistful expression. "Sai mentioned that you sent something to Kotohime-san and were speaking with Rin-san."

Shikamaru wished he had explained to Sai why telling Haru was a bad idea. "They are checking something out for me. It may not come to anything."

"Are you working on the problem anymore?" Haru asked.

"No," Shikamaru admitted, even though he knew that told Haru that he thought he may have found something. "Haru, it is still a long shot. I am almost certain I have worked out what Orochimaru was offering and there is no way your To-chan should have risked doing it. It was more likely to kill him now than extend his life. However, in the middle of it was the kernel of a good idea and it is that idea, made more feasible with some Centralite techniques and nanobot technology, that Kotohime-san and Rin-san are looking at."

"Will you tell Papa that Orochimaru's offer wasn't worth having?"

Shikamaru had not thought of that. Haru was right, Sasuke needed to know. "I will, I promise."

Haru brought up the sixty-seventh procedure. "Good."

They managed to work though another ten before boredom dulled Haru's thought processes. As they tidied up some loose ends, Shikamaru formed the vague impression that Haru wanted to talk to him about something.

He wished he had Sasuke's or Iruka's repertoire for making someone comfortable. Should he offer Haru tea?

Instead they sat awkwardly until Haru said something.

"You know the idea of introducing us to virtual sex-stuff?" Haru asked.

Shikamaru nodded. He had been asked to meet with Haku and Iruka about it. Iruka had turned down most of his suggestions but they had made some progress. It had been decided that every youngster would be issued with suitable hardware and they had agreed on some simple scenarios.

"I don't see why Iruka-sensei gave the stuff to everyone. Even Ka-chan and Ryuka, which is crazy because they fuck all the time."

"It was so no one had to ask for it," Shikamaru pointed out.

Haru shrugged and looked a bit defeated.

"You and Ran can just stick the boxes in a locker and forget them."

"I know," Haru replied. "That isn't the problem."

"So what is?"

"Hi-chan asked if he could use my simulator because it's so much better than the standard model."

Shikamaru understood. It was Haru's simulator, his birthday present.

"Is it mean of me not to want him to do yucky sex-stuff in it?" Haru asked.

"Let's give them the other one, the one we cobbled together," Shikamaru suggested.

"But then you won't have one to use," Haru objected.

Shikamaru did not say that he would not need it because Bettencourt was on his way and it would soon be time for him to leave.

"I'll share it with them. Yucky sex-stuff doesn't bother me." He managed to stop himself before he promised that they would work together to replace it; he did not want to lie to Haru. "You and Kotetsu-san could build another one. Maybe Kei-chan would help."

Haru sniggered. "Maybe Kei-chan would like to make his own customised model."

* * *

Sasuke had been listening to Inari's plan for Skyburrow; Inari had asked to run it past him before presenting it to the extended strategy team.

It looked good. Inari was suggesting that they begin exploring the other planet, most of which was as dry as the toad-hybrid planet was wet. Kotetsu had plans for developing Haru's ideas about robotic probes. Inari had thought carefully about rotating personnel so that the two bases, Skyburrow and Tarrasade, remained closely linked.

"Which of the other planets are priorities for development?" Inari asked.

"Which system would you select?" Sasuke countered.

Inari tensed a little; he knew he was being tested. "The second system of the first of the three-system strings because there are three planets, none of which can be made habitable but all of which have resources for mining."

"Good choice. That's the first route we will gate and Shikamaru has his favourite space station builders ready to go, the ones who built Haven. We haven't thought much about the conditions we will place on the other companies bidding for contracts and mining options, but I'm expecting Naruto to insist that we include the usual workers' rights."

"Maybe Han-san would be interested in running the inspectorate," Inari suggested. "Apparently owners and employers take workers' rights much more seriously after he visits them."

Sasuke recalled the giant hybrid and his reputation. Even if he was not interested, Han may know other suitably scary individuals.

As Inari was leaving, he turned back.

"Shika-san is out here, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke looked through the open doorway; Shikamaru was leaning on the opposite wall. Sasuke beckoned him in, wondering why he was waiting in the corridor rather than in the adjacent office.

"Shall I send for some coffee?" he asked.

Shikamaru shook his head and brought a chair up to the desk. Sasuke knew what that meant; Shikamaru thought he would need to use the projector. Sasuke closed the door, settled back into his chair and waited.

"I have found what Orochimaru was offering," Shikamaru began.

Sasuke stiffened.

"Haru was right. It would have been far too crude and dangerous to try."

"That is good to know," Sasuke admitted. "So is that it?"

"No. There may be a way of making it work. I have Kotohime and Rin working on it. Do you want me to explain or do you want to wait until they have given their opinions?"

"Explain."

It was unexpectedly easy to understand. In theory it would work but there were various practical problems to iron out. The Centralite technology Shikamaru had found would be useful, as would Rin's understanding of nanobot technology.

"What do you think?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru only hesitated for a few moments. "They will get it to work but we won't be able to predict by how much it will extend any individual's lifespan until he or she has been treated and Rin checks the outcome."

"But it will be safe," Sasuke checked.

"Rin will not permit it to be used unless it is safe."

"Best guess, Shika. Please."

"What Orochimaru said. Three to five standards for Naruto, less for Kiba, even less for Hana. It will be more effective the younger the individual. A decade extra, maybe a bit more, for the kits and Ryuu and Ryuka."

Sasuke had not thought of Ryuka. "What about Kamatari? And Five? And Kisame?"

"Their non-human genes aren't canine, so the science will have to be worked through from scratch. Kotohime is probably already working on the cat version; you know how fond she is of Denka and Hina."

"Precious standards," Sasuke murmured.

"Do you think you will be able to persuade Na-chan?"

The desperate hope in Shikamaru's voice cut Sasuke to the core. He looked across and was transfixed; looking into Shikamaru's eyes was like staring into an abyss. "I will do my absolute best," he promised. Then, without thought, he said it. "I know how much you love him."

"Him. Haru. The children. You," Shikamaru whispered.

Sasuke swallowed. "We are family," he suggested.

"Family," Shikamaru echoed. Then he blinked and the abyss was gone; buried within.

That evening, when they were all eating together, Sasuke looked around the table. Even if he could not make Naruto see sense, an extra decade for the kits and Ryuu would be a gift beyond measure.

Leaving the nursery, having put the triplets to bed, Naruto slid down the pole first and then waited at the bottom for Sasuke.

"What happened today?" he asked.

Sasuke knew Naruto was not asking how his day had gone. "Shika has found something. Kotohime and Rin are looking at it. If it works out, it might give the kits and Ryuu an extra decade."

"So Orochimaru was telling the truth?"

"Not exactly. What he had to offer was so crude that it would have been too dangerous to try. However, the idea was Orochimaru's. Shika and Haru have managed to identify and find the necessary technology. Now Kotohime and Rin are trying to make it feasible."

Naruto turned away, walked through to their bedroom and sat crossed-legged on their bed. Sasuke followed him and shut the door; at least they did not have to worry about any of the triplets having superhuman hearing.

Sasuke took up his usual position opposite.

"It doesn't include any of the bad stuff?" Naruto checked.

"No mind prints or growing clones for parts or spending two-thirds of each day in a tank," Sasuke assured him. "Just some gene therapy delivered by a new set of nanobots."

There was silence. Sasuke waited. He was determined to be calm. It had to be Naruto's decision. There was another twitch of the whiskers.

"As soon as Rin says it is safe," Naruto began, "Kiba will insist she tries it on him first. Not because he wants to live longer..."

"...but in case there is some unforeseen side-effect," Sasuke concluded. "To protect the kits and Ryuu and Ryuka." His heart was pounding. Naruto would not do it for himself, but he might do it for the kits and Ryuu. He waited; hoping.

Naruto looked away from him. His whiskers twitched. "I understand better now," he admitted. "I want the kits and Ryuu to live as long as they can; to get the most as possible out of what life has to offer them. I want that for them because I love them."

Sasuke said nothing. He could not speak. He could only hope.

"So I guess that I understand why Shi-chan could not leave it alone." Naruto looked back at him. "And how hard it is for you not to ask me to do it."

"I love you so much," Sasuke managed.

"I know," Naruto admitted. "It won't take away my foxy bits?"

"It won't take away your foxy bits. It will switch off a few of your fox genes but only those that are less good at maintaining your cells than the human equivalents."

"My whiskers won't fall out?"

Sasuke could not help smiling. "I do hope not. I am very fond of your whiskers."

Naruto's gaze was steady. "I'll do it. Not because it might make it safer for the kits. Not for Shi-chan. For you."

The relief was so great that Sasuke tipped forward. He was stopped by Naruto's hand on his shoulder.

Naruto leaned towards him until their foreheads were touching. "You are the centre of my world," he whispered.

"You are the best thing that ever happened to me. You light my life." It was hard but he was determined to say it. "That will always be true, until the day I die."

Naruto pushed them apart enough that he could make eye contact. "You promise?"

Sasuke could do that because it was true. Naruto had illuminated him to his core, permanently changing every part of him. "I promise."

* * *

...


	84. Leaving

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, 'Guest', Laura-Jean95, LillyTigress,'Guest', donalgraeme, Drago Imperiali and melissen for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. Reading a review can made my day.

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**84: Leaving**

* * *

When Shikamaru woke he realised that the decision was made. Two more days and that would be that.

Rin was working on the differential gene switching. Shikamaru had no doubt that if anyone could get it to work, she would. Naruto had agreed to consider it. There was no more Shikamaru could do.

He and Haru had reached the end of the list. Hundreds of procedures had been 'de-shika-ised' and Haru had a grasp of most of the others. There would always be more; it would have to be enough.

Shikamaru had long term strategies worked out for the Tennyos and all his prominent identities. If he could not communicate with them they would go through a number of stages before being deactivated; the identities would be mothballed and the Tennyos retired.

It was the process he had worked out in case he died. He shivered. It was not the same. He would not allow it to be.

Two days; it wasn't a long time to say goodbye to everyone he loved, especially without giving people clues to what he was planning.

Sumiko stared at him in disbelief to see him out of his bedroom before she had left for breakfast. "You're up."

"Good morning, Shika-san," Sai greeted him from Su-chan's room.

"Su-chan, Sai-kun," Shikamaru acknowledged. Sasuke and Naruto would be Sumiko's guardians. He hoped that they would pay attention to the vid in which he pleaded for them to let her live in her own room and keep at least the sitting room they had shared. She was ten; Ran had lived in his own room from the age of eight.

Maybe he should have chosen Iruka as her guardian. He sighed. It was too late to change it now.

"Nii-san, are you listening?"

"No, Su-chan," he admitted. "What did you say?"

Everyone in the kitchen was equally surprised to see him. Neji asked if he was feeling well. Haku insisted on making him coffee. There was no sign of Iruka or Kakashi or Sasuke; it was too early. He sat next to Naruto.

This was the hardest part. Klenn's solution, joining the Central Civil Service, was the best available but it had one colossal drawback. It required Shikamaru to sacrifice ten standards, which might be only a seventh of his remaining lifespan but was more than the balance of Naruto's.

He so wanted Rin to convert the science into an effective treatment; an extra five standards would mean that he should be back before the end.

"Shi-chan?" Naruto asked, his glorious eyes full of concern and his whiskers drooping slightly.

"I've been working too hard," Shikamaru replied, which was not a lie. "'I've decided to follow the advice everyone's been giving me and take it easy for a couple of days."

Naruto smiled. "Why don't you come to the playroom this afternoon?"

"I would like that," Shikamaru admitted.

He started by visiting the trees in the park. Then he dropped in to see people: Kotetsu and Izumo; Inryoku and Enerugi; Iruka in his office; Haku in the closet; Haru.

By the time he had finished it was the time for the midday meal. He took one of the adults' seats at the children's table and picked up some baby sign language, which he used to play word games with Aiko. Haru was right; she was clever.

Naruto had cleared the first half the afternoon so that he could lead a make-believe adventure with the triplets and anyone else who wanted to join in. Su-chan and Sai watched; Sumiko from the sidelines and Sai through the miniature camera and microphone built into the brooch Shikamaru had made for her.

Afterwards Tsuneo threw his arms around Shikamaru's neck.

"That was awesome. Your stories are best, Shi-chan."

Shikamaru hugged him. "Thank you, Tsu-chan." Maybe Haru would think of introducing the triplets to the fun side of the simulators; he hoped so.

Next he hung about for the children's music session so that he would hear Sasuke play for them at the end. He sat on a side counter next to Naruto; shoulder to shoulder.

Then it was back to the crew room to prepare that evening's scenario for him and Neji.

That done, he was determined to enjoy every moment of the evening meal: Sasuke sitting at the head of the table; Naruto beside him; the younger children sitting on booster cushions; the banter between the kits; Haru's far-away expression and Ran making sure he ate.

"Shika?" Neji whispered.

"I am fine," Shikamaru assured him. "I've been relaxing all day. It's been so long since I did that." He smiled. "There are clothes for you in our room," he added, mouthing the words so even the hybrids would miss them.

Neji nodded, flushing very slightly.

Neji left the table after the first round of coffee; before the whisky came out. Shikamaru stayed, adding whisky to his second and third cups.

Then it was back to his room to tell Su-chan and Sai their story, visit the head, shower and dress in his costume.

As he opened the door to their shared room, Neji looked up from his position behind the counter.

"Good afternoon, sir. How may I be of assistance?"

Not only was he wearing the nametag but his hair was up in a high ponytail and he had put in the earrings with the tiny silver bells.

Just before he drifted off to sleep Shikamaru decided that it had been a near perfect day.

So, next morning, directly after the strategy meeting, a day earlier than he had intended, he decided to go. Everything was ready. All he had to do was to strap on the belt he had prepared, pull down his shirt to hide it, grab a jacket and trick the security systems into not recording him leaving.

He left his ring and a handwritten note for Sasuke.

It was easy. Once he was away from the household there was little chance of anyone seeing him. As a precaution, he ducked into an alcove and took his hair down; the topknot was too distinctive.

Within six minutes he was in the apartment where Sakura had lived. Another ten and he was down the ladder and into Level 5.

There he changed his appearance using copper gel from the Tennyo's standard kit. He streaked it through his hair, altering the colour and the texture, before plaiting the two front sections so they framed his face.

That would be enough to stop most people recognising him. As he left he tucked one of the laser pens into the inside pocket of his jacket.

He went through the passage into Level 4 and was soon on his way to the tiny office the Central Civil Service maintained in Tarrasade.

No one gave him a second look as he walked through the corridors. He was soon outside the CCS office. He did not hesitate. He went though the outer door, placed his knife and the laser pen into one of the lock boxes provided and hung the key around his neck. Then he walked through the scanners and into the reception area.

There was a neatly dressed woman at a desk behind a transparent screen. "How may I help you?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "I want to join the Central Civil Service."

She looked mildly surprised. Shikamaru guessed that most of those who walked in and made that request were youngsters. "Certainly. Please enter through the door on the left."

Further instructions were given by a disembodied voice. There were more scanners; this time he had to stand still. He was asked to place his finger on a pad and warned that there would be a sharp pain. He assumed they were taking a blood sample.

Finally a door opened to a small room with a chair, a display, an interface and a second door.

* * *

Sasuke had a question for Shikamaru. He had tried the intercom and not received a response.

He was probably with his trees. Members of the crew beyond the range of the intercom were meant to inform whoever was on watch and take a radio, but Shikamaru often did neither.

Sasuke told himself that it was fine. The question was not that urgent. He would make himself some tea and get on with something else.

Only it niggled; last time no one had known where Shika was, he had been on his way to Izuna's office in Uchiha Headquarters.

He almost used the intercom again but decided against it. He did not want to upset Sumiko or Haru. He considered looking himself, but wandering about asking questions was almost as bad as using the intercom.

Normally he would ask Naruto, but he would worry like Sumiko and Haru. Then he thought of Kazuki.

He activated the intercom. "This is Sasuke. Kazu-kun, if you are available could you come to my office."

Kazuki was there in under a minute, tail fluffed, ears pricked and whiskers arched.

"You want me to find Shika-san without making it obvious," he checked once Sasuke had explained.

"Yes please, Ka-chan. Can you do it?"

Kazuki considered. "Do you know somewhere outside the crew room where he was this morning? I don't want to have to start in the crew room if I can help it."

"Small meeting room for the strategy meeting," Sasuke told him.

Ten minutes later the door announcer sounded. Sasuke opened it, hoping to see Shikamaru and expecting the see Kazuki. Instead it was Yuki.

"Ka-chan said to give you this, Papa," he explained, placing a radio on his desk. "He said that he would be fine. He's taken Ya-chan and Yo-chan with him."

Sasuke's heart started thumping. He should have told Ka-chan to restrict himself to the household. He was about to question Yuki but the radio was already activated and the small blinking blue light indicated an incoming message.

He put in the earpiece and spoke into the microphone.

"Sasuke here. Where are you, Kazu-kun?"

"_Kazuki here. I thought he must have headed for the Tube but he didn't. We're going into the residential section of Level 1."_

"Sasuke here. Kazu-kun, is he on his own?"

"_Yes, he is alone."_

Sasuke struggled to control his anger. What in known space had got into Shikamaru? Why had he started wandering about on his own? Leaving the compound was a thousand times worse than going to Uchiha Headquarters.

He stabbed the intercom button. "This is Sasuke. I need a full response team at the lobby. Now. Further communication will be by radio." He then activated the transmitter on his radio. "Kazuki, we do not have enough information to make informed choices. Keep tracking but be cautious and check decisions with me."

"_I understand, Sasuke-sama."_

"Papa?"

He had almost forgotten Yuki. "Lobby, Yuki-kun. Tell whoever is there that I am on my way."

He had barely got out of his office when Kakashi contacted him on the open frequency.

"_Kakashi here."_

"Sasuke here. Secure channel one." He switched channels. "Shikamaru has gone walk-about. Kazuki has tracked him into the residential section of Level 1."

"_I'll get the fastest team I can muster in front of the Central Civil Service recruitment office as soon as is possible,"_ Kakashi replied.

Sasuke stopped walking. Angry was washed away by fear. Of course that was where Shikamaru was going and he would be using his private route down the strut between Level 1 and Level 5. He pulled himself together. "Yes, do that," he managed.

Five minutes later Itachi, Kisame, Gai, Naruto, Sumaru and Kamatari were on their way down the Tube and he was in the small meeting room while Konohamaru and Akemi assembled a mission hub around him. As slick and quick as the procedure was, Sasuke resolved to establish a permanent facility; the days when they could go standards without an incident were long gone.

The door slid open. It was Neji. Sasuke took a deep breath and moved towards him. Neither of them said anything. It was as if putting it into words made it all too real.

He settled for putting a hand on Neji's shoulder and received a small nod in response.

Next was Haru. Sasuke had tried arguing that they could manage without him but Kakashi had insisted. Even with Konohamaru handling communications, they still needed someone on data analysis. If Shikamaru had gone; Haru would have to step into his shoes.

He was horribly pale. Sasuke went to him and hugged him close.

"Do you think he's gone and done it, Papa?" Haru whispered.

"I do not know, Ha-chan. We will do everything we can to find out."

* * *

Shikamaru sat on the chair. On the display were instructions about how to use the interface. It was, of course, the entrance examination.

He had thought long and hard about the test. Should he try? Perhaps it would be better to concoct the results that would be expected from someone at the edge of the normal range rather than beyond it.

In the end he had decided not to try to outguess them. This test had been designed by the most competent psychologists in known space. If they detected he was fixing the results they might just reject his application.

That was not a risk he was willing to take; he had to be accepted before Bettencourt arrived.

There were twelve pauses; he presumed that was when he completed one level and the computer decided on the next. During the first five his progress was determined on the speed at which he could take in the information being displayed. Once the sixth started, he recognised the first of the standard typed-genius tests.

It was enjoyable because there were questions he could not answer.

Except on the seventh typed-genius test; those were easy.

Finally the test finished. Shikamaru looked towards the second door. From what he had researched, this door should open and there would be a Servant waiting to interview him. Instead there was another disembodied voice.

"Thank you for your interest but we are unable to accept your application."

The door he had come in slid open.

Shikamaru sat there for a moment; stunned. It had never occurred to him that they would turn him down.

"When you are ready, please exit through the open door," the voice instructed.

He stood up. With a minute he had reclaimed his belongings and was in the corridor outside the office.

He started walking; standing looking lost in any space station, even Tarrasade, was dangerous. He found a respectable-looking bar, ordered tea and sat in a corner to think.

The situation was not as he had assumed. Everything he had researched, everything Klenn had told him, had led him to believe that the Central Civil Service would jump at the chance of recruiting a typed-genius, even if it meant annoying the psychologists at the Institute on Centre I.

He had been wrong. Maybe they had changed the rules after Klenn. The option of swapping ten standards of his life for his future freedom had gone; it had never existed anywhere other than in his mind.

Tea slopped over the rim of his cup; his hand was shaking. He returned the cup to the table. What did he do now? Centre, in the form of Bettencourt and whoever he had with him, would arrive within five to seven days. How was he going to keep them away from Haru?

He imagined what would happen. Sasuke would try to protect them. Centre would destroy Uchiha without a thought and pick out what it wanted from the pieces. By the time they had finished they would know about Sai, so they could use his existence to justify what they had done.

Not that they would feel any need to do so.

And, once Centre had left, Izuna would claim the remains.

* * *

By the time the mission hub was operational, Itachi's team was down the Tube. Naruto, Kamatari and Sumaru were sprinting for the recruitment office. Itachi, Kisame and Gai were following behind.

Kakashi entered and settled at his place between Konohamaru and Neji. "Kazuki, Yoshimi and Yasushi are back," he told Sasuke. "The trail took them to the apartment with the access to Level 5. There's no doubt he went that way."

Sasuke thought he would say more but that that moment there was the hiss of a carrier wave and they all looked at the speaker.

"_This is Naruto. We're at the CCS office. He's been here. I can smell him. Only a few people have been through the front door this morning and he is one of them."_

Sasuke's gut twisted. He wanted to be with Naruto or for Naruto to be with him. "This is Sasuke. That is that then. You might as well come home."

"_No. I have to be sure. I'm going in."_

"Dobe, no..." He was too late. The signal was lost as Naruto entered; the office had to be shielded.

"_This is Kamatari. It will be fine, Sasuke-sama. They won't let him join. Hybrids don't qualify."_

Sasuke was about to retort when he heard Konohamaru's chuckle and realised it was a joke.

"_This is Sumaru. We will give Naruto-san three further minutes before following."_ There was a pause. _"I fear we may have attracted attention by running so quickly."_

Kakashi responded immediately. "Kakashi here. What do you mean, Sumaru-san?"

"_Kamatari here. People are realising that Naruto-san is out and about. Remember, there are those tales people tell about when he used to run the Inner Residential Ring? A golden-haired hybrid running like the wind?"_

Sasuke wished he had forbidden it but Naruto had been so determined to go. "Sasuke here. Meet up with the others as soon as you can. Itachi, think about alternative ways home."

"_Itachi here. I already am."_

They waited. There was nothing to say. They all knew that Centre would never allow a typed-seven genius slip through its grasp. Sasuke looked over to Haru, who was busy doing something.

"Haru, Shika-san has done this to keep Uchiha from Centre's attention. You are not to do anything to undermine that."

Haru did not even look at him. "I understand, Papa."

Just like Shika; comprehension rather than obedience. "Haru, I mean it."

This time Haru looked at him. "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

"_This is Naruto."_

They all sat a little straighter.

"_He didn't stay. The receptionist said she couldn't give any information but I could smell that she was confused. I pushed and, in the end, she confirmed they did not take him."_

Sasuke was so elated that his head was swimming. Shikamaru would be on his way home; he was probably already halfway up the strut to Level 1.

"_This is Kamatari. We cannot remain here. The crowd is building up."_

"This is Sasuke. Come home."

"_But..."_ Naruto argued.

"This is an order. Work out a rendezvous with Itachi and get back here."

"_On our way, Sasuke-sama,"_ Sumaru confirmed.

This was the moment when Shikamaru would have offered him a private channel to Naruto and he would have taken it. He was about to ask Haru when Neji spoke.

"Haru, can you show the media feeds?"

"Yes, Neji-san," Haru replied and four of the displays sprung into life.

"_...there are reports of Naruto-san running through Levels 6 and 5 towards the spacer quarter. So far we have no confirmation of his destination, although..."_

"_...times have changed. As well as rubber-neckers wishing to catch a glimpse of Sasuke Uchiha's lover, there are others who would use him to build their reputations. Those spoiling for a fight..."_

"_...focus for the AHB and other anti-hybrid factions. There are reports of AHB squads appearing..."_

"There is also a report from the JSF that there are members of the AHB gathering outside the entry to the Tube," Konohamaru informed them.

Sasuke's gut twisted. He had not realised that the AHB was so strong. "This is Sasuke. You would have to fight your way to the Tube. Consider other options."

"_This is Itachi. We are heading for the closest shuttle dock."_

"I shall get shuttles launched," Kakashi assured him.

"_This is Sumaru. The media must have pinpointed our position because the corridors are filling up. It is all good-natured at the moment but we have had to slow down."_

"_This is Naruto. If we meeting up with the AHB there is going to be panic. Innocent bystanders are going to get hurt."_

Konohamaru turned to him. "Sasuke-sama, Uchiha cannot afford to be seen as the cause of a riot or, worse, a massacre."

Sasuke did not need Konohamaru to tell him that. "This is Sasuke. Itachi, what is your situation?"

"Itachi here. We are heading for dock 475B. I repeat, we are heading for dock 475B."

"This is Kakashi. A shuttle is on its way. I repeat, a shuttle is on its way."

"This is Sasuke. Sumaru, can you make it to a shuttle dock. I repeat, can you make it to a shuttle dock?"

"_This is Sumaru. Reaching a dock is unlikely. We are considering options."_

"_This is Naruto. We may be out of radio..."_

There was an unfamiliar thumping sound and then silence.

* * *

...


	85. Acceptance

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, kaname-luvr, superflaj, 'Guest', maliya, Codydog, cynder81, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, 'Guest', LillyTigress,'Guest', Drago Imperiali, JustSomeGuy, Codydog, melissen, Laura-Jean95 and donalgraeme for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. Reading a review can made my day.

* * *

This is a special Wednesday update because I feel (slightly) guilty about the cliffhanger ending to chapter 84.

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**85: Acceptance**

* * *

The silence was horrible. There was sound, the buzz of the equipment, but no words from either the speakers or the people present. Haru felt his eyes prickling and he blinked away any tears before they could form.

He did not know what he felt. Papa was saying that he mustn't do anything to make Shi-chan's sacrifice less valuable but he had allowed To-chan to try and bring Shi-chan back.

Now To-chan was in trouble. Maybe he wouldn't come back either.

"Haru-kun, can you analyse that noise?" Kakashi-san asked.

Haru didn't understand.

Kakashi-san frowned at him. "The strange sound we heard over the radio link just before we lost contact."

"Yes, Kakashi-san."

It was good to have something to do. He chopped the sound from the recording, cleaned it up and ran it through a comparison database.

When the results appeared he read it out without thinking. "It's a type ten disposal chute opening and closing."

Papa gasped. Haru looked at him. His face had gone completely white; his lips were blue. What was so wrong? Then he had it; bodies were thrown down the bigger disposal chutes. A type ten was well large enough for a body.

Was To-chan dead?

"Sasu-kun!" Kakashi-san was out of his chair and crouched before Papa's. "There were no sounds of fighting. Naruto himself was warning us that radio contact would be lost."

Some colour came back to Papa's cheeks. "Live bodies can go down disposal chutes too," he whispered.

Haru could imagine To-chan talking a dive down a disposal chute to avoid a fight in which bystanders might get hurt.

"There may be clubbers at the bottom," Papa pointed out.

Kono-san snorted. "As if any clubbers would have the slightest chance against even Kamatari, never mind Naruto or Sumaru."

"I'll get a squad down there," Kakashi-san promised.

"Include Moegi-san," Papa suggested.

"If she can be ready in time," Kakashi-san replied.

Kakashi-san began giving orders via a channel to someone, probably Inari-san. Itachi-san confirmed that they had rendezvoused with the shuttle. Konohamaru-san was trying to make contact with Udon-san in Sublevel C.

Haru was thinking about Shi-chan.

Papa thought that Shi-chan was on his way back. Haru wasn't so sure. Shi-chan was determined to keep Centre away from Uchiha, away from him and away from Sai.

He activated his throat mike. "Sai?" he subvocalised.

"I am here."

"I think Shi-chan will head for the docks. Do you know if he has a ship?"

"I am sorry, Haru, but I will not help you."

Haru almost forgot not to speak out loud. He did squeak, which he covered with a cough. "What do you mean, you won't help me?"

"I promised Shika-san. He explained why he has to go. It is to protect Sumiko and you and Ran and Kazuki and all the others. I have analysed his argument and he is correct. Any other course of action will lead to you being taken and everyone else being killed or mindwiped. They will come for Shika-san and they will find me. Everything else will follow."

"But the Central Civil Service didn't take him."

"That is a setback," Sai acknowledged. "I am sure that Shika-san will find a way around it." There was a pause. "He will make contact with the psychologists on Centre I and give himself up. It is the logical alternative."

"But that means he will never come back."

"It reduces that possibility to so close to zero that it is negligible," Sai agreed.

Haru's eyes went to Papa, who thought that Shi-chan was on his way home. Even Kakashi-san had not mentioned an alternative.

He could tell Papa, or Kakashi-san, or Neji-san.

Only he wouldn't, because Sai was right, like Papa had been when he had told Haru not to do anything to devalue Shi-chan's sacrifice.

It was hard. It would be much easier if his emotions were underdeveloped, like Sai's.

"Maybe we can stay in contact with him," Haru suggested to Sai.

"That may be possible," Sai agreed. "Until he gives himself up, there are the data streams. We can use them for two-way communication. Once he is in the Institute on Centre I we can listen with Sai-code and he will know we are listening. It will not be two-way but it will be communication."

Haru felt a little better. Maybe Shi-chan would work out a way to get into the data streams from Centre I. Haru would not put it past him.

There was a hiss from one of the speakers. Haru stared at it, willing it to be To-chan.

"_This is Naruto."_

There was a concerted sigh of relief.

"_Sorry about that. It took us a while to find a place which where we could make contact. We are in Sublevel C."_

Papa activated his microphone. "This is Sasuke. We guessed, but you could have warned us."

"_No time. We didn't want them seeing where we'd gone. We've charmed our way past the clubbers and now we have to find our way to the hospice or the orphanage. Any sign of Shi-chan?"_

"Not yet."

Haru's gut twisted but he made himself stay silent.

* * *

Shikamaru had decided that he needed a ship. Having a ship would open up options. In retrospect he should have had one tucked away somewhere, but he didn't.

There were always good ships for sale to those with enough credit.

Abandoning his tea, he had left the bar and set off for the docks.

On the way he formulated a new plan. Hopefully he had the rest of the day until Sasuke realised that he was missing. By that time he needed to be on a ship heading for a gate.

The first step was the ship, ideally bought from someone who would be more interested in celebrating a sudden an unexpected windfall in than registering the sale.

He headed for a high security dock that was popular with couriers.

Like in all parts of the spacer quarter, most business was conducted in bars. During the day, couriers would wait there hoping for a call or someone to approach them in person.

Shikamaru hoped that the barman knew his clientele. He slid a gold credit across the surface of the bar, mostly covered by his hand. "I need a decent one man ship and I need it now. Who could I buy one off?"

The barman considered. Then gold credit was taken away by his cloth and he nodded towards a corner. "He borrowed to upgrade and has regretted it since."

Shikamaru looked across. The man's boots were good quality but worn, which fitted with what the barman had told him. "Sealed bottle of high-end whisky and two glasses." He moved his hand as if to produce another coin.

"On the house," the barman insisted.

The man looked up in suspicion as Shikamaru joined him. Then he looked at the quality of the whisky and nodded his assent.

Shikamaru cracked open the bottle poured them both a shot. "I need a ship and I need it now."

"Don't take passengers," the man replied.

He tried again. "I want to buy your ship. Now. I'll pay you over the market price."

The man was silent as the information sank in.

"We go and look at her now," Shikamaru told him. "If she's adequate, you take your personal stuff off her, wipe the memory banks and walk away with more than what's she's worth. Enough to have a good time in Tarrasade and buy a replacement afterwards."

"How do I know you've got enough?" the man queried.

"You're a courier," Shikamaru stated.

Now the man was on secure ground. He pulled a portable Belmenth credit token reader from an inside jacket pocket, placed it on the table and plugged the lead into the socket provided.

Shikamaru produced a thousand credit token and thrust it into the reader. He hoped it wasn't too much. "A fee for your time."

The man's eyes lit up but in a good way; it made him look younger. "You need a ship that bad?"

"My need is urgent," Shikamaru confirmed.

It felt right. The man seemed genuine. As they walked through the dock towards the mooring, Shikamaru relaxed a little but not too much. He kept telling himself that anyone trained by Uchiha could take out a simple courier. Even if he couldn't, he had the laser pen.

The ship was far better than he had feared. "She's nice and neat," he observed. "Is she fast?"

The man puffed up with pride. "One of the best. I tuned her myself."

Shikamaru looked him in the eye. "I know you'll miss her, but I'll look after her and you can buy her sister with what I will pay you." He factored in everything the man had told him about the ship, calculated a price, doubled it and made his offer.

The man stared at him.

"I need a ship," Shikamaru repeated. "She's just what I require. And if you could delay mentioning that you've sold her, I would consider it a favour."

"I could do that," the man murmured. "Something tells me that this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that I'd regret not taking."

"No need for regrets," Shikamaru encouraged.

"I'll do it," the man decided.

Less than a hundred minutes later Shikamaru was on his way to the nearest gate with the new identity for the ship ready to go. A worm would burrow through every database linked to the data streams, creating a history for the ship reaching back to its construction. He would have a jump slot at the gate, apparently booked well in advance.

Maybe Haru and Sai working together could detect what he had done but he doubted it.

Once he released the worm he would stay away from the data streams; he had no intention of giving Haru any leads as to where to find him.

He made one last check and then activated the first step in the process.

That done, he stripped off his clothes and fed them into the cleaner. He only had the one set with him; he turned up the ambient temperature to compensate for being naked.

Then he set the alarms and decided to get some rest. A one-man fugitive slept whenever an opportunity presented itself; a lesson he had been taught by Kakashi and that had been reinforced when he was on the run from Pein.

His mind was calm; even the deeper layers seemed settled. He took it as confirmation that he was doing the right thing.

He lowered the captain's chair to the acceleration position. It would double as a bed.

Sleep came surprisingly easily.

* * *

Naruto stank but it did not stop Sasuke hugging him. He did not even care about being in a lobby full of people.

"Shi-chan?" Naruto queried.

"No sign," Sasuke admitted. If Shikamaru was coming home he should have been here by now. "We have people looking but..."

Naruto's arms tightened around him. "I have been thinking about it. Shi-chan does not want to be found. He believes he is protecting Haru."

Sasuke swallowed. He still did not want to accept it. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Only they never made it as far as their room. When they entered the shared area of the crew room, there was someone waiting for them.

It was Sumiko and she had been crying. She thrust a small package at Sasuke. "He left this for you. I found it in his room."

Naruto rubbed Sasuke's upper arm. "I'll go shower. Then I will come and find you."

Then he was alone facing Sumiko. He decided to sit on the couch in the hope she would sit next to him.

She did but with a considerable space between them. The package was proffered again and this time he took it.

"It's his ring," she told him. "I can tell by the shape."

He tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Aren't you going to open it?" she asked.

"Talking to you is more important."

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "It went wrong, didn't it?"

Sasuke was not sure what she meant or even how much she knew. "What went wrong?" he queried.

"The plan. He was going to do what Klenn-san did. He was going to join the Central Civil Service to escape the psychologists."

"He told you?"

She shook her head. "I worked it out. Did it go wrong?"

"Yes, we think it went wrong. For some reason the Central Civil Service did not take him."

Tears started running down Sumiko's cheeks. "So he's not coming back in ten standards' time?"

Sasuke started to put an arm around her, only to be stopped by a look that would have been worthy of Haku at his best. He dropped his arm back to his side. "We don't know. This is Shikamaru. He may find a way."

She fixed her gaze on the far wall. "No. The Centralite psychologists won't ever let him go."

"Maybe he isn't on his way to them."

She turned tear-filled angry eyes on him. "Of course he is, because otherwise Centre will take the people he loves and hold them hostage until he does and if they do that they will find out about Haru and..." She trailed off for a moment before taking a deep breath. "...and going away from us would have been pointless."

She was right and they both knew it.

They sat in silence, side by side, until Naruto joined them, his fur still damp from the shower. Before Sumiko could object he had picked her up, sat down and settled her into his lap.

She scowled at him but he pretended not to see it.

"We will be looking after you," he stated. "That is what Shi-chan wanted."

Sasuke's throat closed. Shikamaru was gone and Naruto had accepted it. It was like Sumiko had said; even if they could find him it would be foolish to stop him. This way they kept Haru safe.

Sumiko looked like she was going to start crying again.

"What do you want to call me?" Naruto asked.

It worked; she was distracted by the question. "Na-chan? Like Nii-san does?" she asked.

Sasuke's gut twisted. Every time she said it, Naruto would be reminded of Shikamaru.

Naruto smiled at her. "Na-chan it is. What about Sasuke?"

For a horrible moment, Sasuke thought she might choose Sasu-chan.

Instead her eyes filled with tears again. "I don't know."

Naruto smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. "You think about it. Can we call you Su-chan?"

She nodded. Then she looked fierce again. "I want to stay living in my room. You can take away the sitting room, but I want my room."

Naruto drew her close for a hug. "No one is going to take away your room, Su-chan. For now, we'll leave things the way they are."

She relaxed a bit. "Good. I can look after myself most of the time. I already clean my room and my head and my shower and the sitting room and the kitchenette."

"That is good, Su-chan," Sasuke acknowledged, "but we do not want you to be lonely."

"I don't want to live with the triplets," she insisted. "I don't like them."

"Su-chan," Naruto warned gently.

She flushed. "Well I don't like Takara. Teruko's not too bad and everyone likes Tsuneo. Takara doesn't like me either."

That was definitely true. "Like Naruto said, we will leave things as they are for now," Sasuke confirmed.

"Nii-san let me ping his chronometer if I needed him," she hinted.

"We'll organise a pager," Naruto promised before Sasuke could stop him.

At this rate she would be calling him Sasu-chan and summoning him at all times of the day or night. He had seen the way she had treated Shikamaru.

"Sasuke-sama, may I speak with you?"

The tone was so unfamiliar that he had to look to check who it was. It was Iruka and he looked seriously displeased.

"Go," Naruto encouraged. "Su-chan and I will be fine for now."

"My office?" Sasuke asked.

"Mine is closer," Iruka replied.

Once they were there with the door shut, Iruka pinned him with his gaze.

"You find him and you bring him back."

"I can't," Sasuke replied.

"You won't. According to Kakashi, you aren't even going to try. Are you going to try, Sasuke? Or are you going to let him give himself to people who are going to vivisect his mind? None of the typed-seven geniuses they have are sane. Not one. Why do you think that is so?"

Sasuke had not thought about what the Centralite psychologists would do. That had not been the plan. Shikamaru was meant to be joining the CCS. He felt sick.

"Straight answer required, Sasuke. Are you going to make him come back?"

"I don't know where he is."

"I'll tell you where he is. He's still in this system, at least for now. Have you done anything to find him? How many people do we have searching the docks? Have you even got Haru working on monitoring the traffic? Have you even put a message out there ordering him to come home?"

"Iruka-sensei..."

"Don't you Iruka-sensei me. How many of those things have you done?"

"We have people at the docks."

"Yes, Kakashi told me. You have six. Six people asking questions. Is Haru working on it?"

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted.

"Have you sent him a message ordering him home?"

He hesitated.

"Have you?" Iruka demanded.

Sasuke snapped. "No and I am not going to because this is the only way to keep Centre away from Haru."

"Is it?" Iruka queried. "What about hiding? Or faking his death? Why didn't we talk about this as a crew, as a family? How long have you known that Centre had been told about him?"

An upsurge of uncertainty diluted his anger. Had he been too quick to accept Shikamaru's sacrifice? Had there been another solution?

"How long?" Iruka demanded.

Sasuke thought back to when Izuna had been on the liner. "Almost a standard," he admitted.

Iruka went a sickly sallow colour and then a bright red spot appeared high on each cheek. "That is unforgiveable," he stated. "Please leave before I say something I may regret."

"He was going to join the CCS," Sasuke explained. "I never agreed to him going to the psychologists."

"Go away, Sasuke."

"No. It isn't my fault and it isn't Kakashi's and it isn't Shika's. It's Izuna's because he told Centre that Shika is a typed-seven."

Iruka looked him directly in the eyes. "No, it is yours. You let that man into our lives. You trusted him. We accepted him because you wanted it. You told him all our secrets and we have suffered for it ever since. Even now, you are so obsessed with the problems he has caused that you didn't even question Shikamaru sacrificing himself. What is wrong with you?"

The words were like being stabbed again and again. "Iruka-sensei," he pleaded.

"I am ashamed of you, Sasuke. Go away."

The door slid open.

"Go," Iruka repeated.

He couldn't move.

"If you won't, I will," Iruka stated.

He walked out and the door slid closed behind him.

* * *

...


	86. Refusal

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, superflaj, maliya, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, LillyTigress,'Guest', Laura-Jean95, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, Codydog, kaname-luvr, cynder81, melissen, and donalgraeme for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. Reading a review can made my day.

* * *

There was an update this Wednesday. Have you read chapter 85?

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**86: Refusal**

* * *

Sasuke stood motionless. It would be easier if he could be angry; angry at Centre, or Izuna, or Shika, or even at Iruka.

It was as if Iruka's words had punctured him and all his emotions had drained away.

No, not quite all; once the pain had died down he discovered that he was feeling stubborn.

He walked over to Iruka's desk and stabbed the intercom button with his finger.

"This is Sasuke. I want the extended strategic team in the small meeting room now, along with Kotetsu, Haru, Inryoku, Sakura, Iruka and Naruto."

The room was too small for so many people but Sasuke did not care.

"We are bringing Shikamaru back," he announced. "Everything we discuss from now on is based on that assumption. Is that clear?"

There were nods and few murmurs of assent. Sasuke did not look at Naruto. He was not sure what he would do if Naruto's whiskers were drooping.

"Kotetsu, I want a list of ways of putting the gates temporarily out of action that can be implemented immediately."

Kotetsu stared at him. "Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke understood. Only pirates messed with gates. "Just do it, Kotetsu-san. At the moment, it is only a list. Sakura, I want you down at the docks finding out what ship he's got hold of. Take anyone you need who isn't in this room and is experienced enough."

She was on her way to the door. "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

"Haru, I want a way of communicating securely with Shika-san given that he will not have an Uchiha decoder."

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," Haru replied.

"Will that take long?"

"No, because Shi-chan can do what the decoder does in his head."

"Good. Iruka-san, I want you to record a message for Shika-san. Something along the lines of the discussion we just had." He risked looking at Iruka and received a nod. "Inryoku, I don't want Shika-san sneaking out of the system by some route we haven't thought of. Make a list. If anyone thinks of anything, check Inryoku-san has it on his list."

"Beginning the list now, Sasuke-sama," Inryoku assured him.

"Inari-san, I want the Elm or the Maple manned and out there, ready to respond to anything. You are to captain her. Also, get the Dart prepped and moved to the dock here."

Inari stood up. "On my way, Sasuke-sama."

"Kakashi-san, I need you to work out why Shikamaru went today. What was the trigger? If you want to know the answer to a specific question, Haru is the one most likely to be able to find the answer for you." He looked at Kakashi, who was looking less than convinced. "Kakashi-san?" he challenged.

"I shall get onto it, Sasuke-sama."

"Finally, Neji-san, I need you to think about the best way to negotiate with Centre."

There were many sharp intakes of breath and a few gasps.

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," Neji replied.

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Some of you may not be clear about the reasons behind Shikamaru's behaviour. Izuna Uchiha has told Centre that Shikamaru is a typed-seven genius. Centre regards typed-geniuses as a resource that it harvests. Shikamaru-san does not want Centre coming here and examining us in detail. We all know that becoming a focus of Centre's attention is dangerous.

"His solution was to join the Central Civil Service. By serving in the CCS for ten standards he would become a citizen of Centre with rights under Centralite law. Those rights would include telling the Centralite psychologists to go jump and coming home.

"That's what he was trying to do this morning. Only they did not let him. So he is now on his way to give himself in to the Centralite psychologists and, as Iruka-sensei pointed out to me, we can't allow that.

"So we are going to get him back and then we are going to negotiate a deal with Centre."

As he finished, he finally allowed himself to look at Naruto.

Naruto's whiskers were high and his eyes shone with approval.

* * *

Haru knew at once that Papa was right. They should get Shi-chan back and look for a different solution. Trouble was, he needed to speak to Sai.

"Papa?" he asked once Papa had stopped talking to them and everyone was starting their jobs.

"Yes, Haru-kun?"

"I need some stuff from my workroom."

Papa studied him. "Be quick. You are needed here."

He ran through the corridors, into his workroom and locked the doors.

"Sai!"

Sai's avatar appeared, sitting on the counter as usual.

"You promised to help Shi-chan with his first plan, the one to join CCS. What he is doing now is different. You never promised to help him with it."

"I promised not to help you find him."

Haru pulled up short. What if Sai warned Shi-chan? "I want a promise too, Sai. I want you to promise not to contact Shi-chan without my permission and to share the full contents of any message with me."

"Why?"

For the first time ever, Haru considered disconnecting Sai from the networks. "Do you absolutely promise not to contact Shi-chan for the next five minutes?"

"Yes, I promise that."

"Good. We're going to get Shi-chan back. Papa has decided. We are going to get him back and then we are going to come up with a solution that doesn't mean that Centre finds out about me and about you but also doesn't have psychologists picking apart Shi-chan's mind."

There was a pause. "Sasuke-sama does not know about me."

Haru did not like that line of thought. "True," he admitted.

"So Sasuke-sama cannot assess the relative dangers of the different outcomes."

Disconnecting Sai would be a lot quicker than convincing him but Haru knew it wasn't right. It would be like hitting Ran on the head and stuffing him in a closet. "I can. The safest solution is having none of us in Centralite hands. That way there is the least chance of them finding out about you."

"That is correct."

"So, we haven't thought enough about what we can give Centre in return for keeping Shi-chan with us."

"Centre is big and powerful. They can take anything they want. Letting them know that you have anything they want is dangerous."

Haru knew that; that was why Izuna-sama had done it. "Sai, please. You don't want him to go. I don't want him to go. Su-chan doesn't want him to go. Let Papa try. It is wrong to let him go without trying."

There was another pause. "The context of my promise was Shika-san joining the Central Civil Service."

Haru's spirit lifted.

"I would not have promised if Shika-san had said that he was going to go to the Institute of Psychology. The psychologists at the Institute of Psychology mindwipe people. All the typed-seven geniuses in their care are classified as clinically insane."

"Will you help us find him, Sai?" Haru asked. "Papa is determined to do it. He's talking about shutting the gates."

"That will have repercussions," Sai pointed out.

"I know, so we need to find Shi-chan before Papa resorts to doing stuff like that."

"Yes, Haru, I will help you find him before Sasuke-sama does something rash."

Haru ran back to the small meeting room and settled into his place. Papa gave him a look, demanding an explanation.

"I had to make some connections," Haru told him, which was true.

* * *

Shikamaru's alarm woke him. It was evening and he was surprised that he had slept so long. He took it as a sign that he was content with the decision he had made.

An instrument check confirmed that everything was as expected; he was making rapid progress towards the gate and should be there in good time for his jump slot.

He decided to go down to the galley and make himself some coffee.

The first sip told him that the stuff had never been anywhere near any plant, at least not the green with leaves variety. He grimaced but kept drinking; even synthetic coffee contained caffeine.

Part of him wish he had taken time to buy some supplies. Instead he was relying on what the previous owner had considered essential stock items.

It was all stuff that Haku or Iruka would have fed directly into the recycler.

He picked out the least objectionable meal bar and made his way back up the ladder to the control room. There he considered what to do next; he would not reach the gate until morning.

The safest course would be to go back to sleep. That way he would resist the temptation to have a look at what was happening elsewhere.

Maybe he could risk looking through the telescope? Or eavesdrop on radio traffic?

He was sorting out the telescope when a light flashed on the control board and an incoming audio channel activated automatically.

_"This is Tarrasade Control. There has been a security alert. Please transmit your ship's identity. Once we have verified your ship's identity your ship with be given a unique signal that it must transmit at all times. Ships not transmitting their unique signal will not be allowed the approach a gate, Tarrasade or the freight hub."_

Shikamaru swore. It was his own fault; he had come up with the procedure after the last raid and asked Sasuke to recommend it to station control.

He told himself that security alerts happened all the time. Then he transmitted the ship's new identity, confident that it would pass scrutiny.

Sure enough, the ship passed muster and was tagged so that it would transmit the required signal.

He soon decided that using the telescope was boring; there was nothing much to see. He was drifting off to sleep when, suddenly, a voice filled the cabin.

"_Lying around naked, surrounded by empty coffee cups and having a nap. Some things never change, Shika-kun."_

He almost jumped out of his skin. For a moment he thought he must have fallen asleep and was dreaming about one of Iruka's lectures. Then one of the displays activated and Iruka's face appeared.

"_We are a crew, Shika-kun; a family. We discuss our problems properly and come up with the best solution. It is not acceptable for you to sneak off on your own. Now you can either turn that new ship of yours around and bring it home, or the Elm will come and get you. Which is it going to be?"_

Haru must have slipped Sai-code onto the ship along with the tag. It was the only explanation. "But..." he began.

"_There are only two possible answers, Shika-kun, and neither of them start with 'but'."_

"It will be faster if I turn this ship around," he replied, trying to think of ways to get away.

"_Yes, it will. And don't think that you can slip away again. We are watching you with telescopes. That's people looking through telescopes, not cameras that you can hack."_

"I understand, Iruka-sensei."

"_Shika-kun,"_ Iruka warned.

He gave in; he didn't have any other option. "I am turning her around now and coming home."

"_Now."_

"Now," he confirmed and implemented the course change. "See?"

Iruka's eyes went to someone out of the camera's field of view. _"Good." _He turned back. "_Shika-kun, I understand. The first plan, joining CCS, had its merits. This one doesn't. We can do better than this."_

Shikamaru didn't think they could.

Iruka read his reaction. _"Come home, Shika-kun, and listen to what Sasuke has come up with."_

Sasuke had a plan? Shikamaru waited for the itch to start between his shoulder blades.

Only, to his surprise, it didn't.

* * *

Haru had to admit that finding Shi-chan had been fun. Someone would have an idea, or dig up some relevant information, and they would try to work out how to use it.

Sakura-san and Ino-san had identified the ship Shi-chan had bought. Haru had confirmed that the records had it still in the dock, which it wasn't. Knowing it had been a courier's ship had helped to narrow down the possibilities.

Then Haru had told them that all he needed was an exchange of radio traffic with a ship in order to be able to spy on the occupants. There had been a short debate that Papa had steered to be about spacer ethics rather than any detail about the new type of code. Haru had promised to spy on as few crews as possible.

Next Itachi-san had suggested that there were some signals that ships were obliged to respond to, Inryoku-san had remembered the procedure that Tarrasade Control were using to track ships during emergencies and Kono-san had said that he could persuade them to run a drill.

It hadn't taken long to be ready. Haru had Sai working with him on the code and Papa's help sorting out how to discount crews or at least push them down the priority list.

Shi-chan's ship had been the fifth they tried and they had only had to look at the life support stats of the other four.

Then To-chan had suggested a live link rather than sending a vid, which Kakashi-san and Papa had thought was a wonderful idea.

Haru didn't know what Iruka-sensei had said to Shi-chan but it had worked; he was on his way home.

After Papa had dismissed them, Haru had gone to his crew room, intent on finding Ran. He slowed as he approached the shared area; he really did not want to talk to anyone other than Ran. Luckily Kuuya was already there, filling everyone in, so he managed to slip quietly into his room.

The door to Ran's room was open and Ran was sitting on his bed, waiting. Haru went through, sat beside him and began explaining what had happened throughout the day.

He liked telling Ran because, with Ran, he could acknowledge Sai's contribution.

"So what happens next?" Ran asked once he had finished.

Haru wasn't sure. "There's this Centralite ship on its way here. On board is the man Izuna-sama told about Shi-chan. Sai says Shi-chan knew that the man had visited the Institute of Psychology on Centre I, which was why Shi-chan is convinced that he is coming to get him. Papa has Neji-san working on how we should negotiate with him."

Ran's eyebrows shot up. "A spacer clan negotiating with Centre? Isn't that a bit beyond brave?"

Haru knew that was what Shi-chan would think. "Papa's determined. To-chan is supporting him." He remembered Kakashi-san's expression. "Kakashi-san thinks they are insane to even try it but he isn't saying anything because he knows Papa won't change his mind." He put together all the bits that he had overheard. "I think they'll go to meet him rather than letting him come here."

"Keeping him away from you," Ran observed.

Haru guessed that was so. He didn't want to think about what would happen if the negotiation failed. It would be like the worse bits of what had happened that morning all over again. "Papa's face when he thought To-chan was dead," he whispered. "It was awful."

Ran pulled him close. "It's over. Ir-chan is right; we need to face the bad stuff as a crew, as a family. We are stronger that way."

Haru snuggled into Ran's chest. Certainly working as a crew had brought Shi-chan home.

* * *

Sasuke knew he would not be able to sleep until he had seen Shikamaru in person. Part of him still expected the ship to be a decoy and Shikamaru to be on another ship; already through a different gate.

So here he was with Naruto, Iruka and Kakashi: in the docking bay; halfway through ship's night; waiting.

Neji had said that he would wait in the crew room. Naruto had told Sumiko that Shikamaru would not arrive until the morning. Luckily she had believed him and had happily gone off to bed.

Given that the ship had been all that was available, it was quite a neat craft. Once Kotetsu and Izumo had worked their magic it would be a nice addition to their little fleet.

Finally the airlock opened and he stepped out. His hair was different but it was definitely Shikamaru.

Naruto had him engulfed in a hug before he had stepped off the gangplank.

Iruka was next. He touched Shikamaru's hair and his cheek before holding him tight. Then Kakashi stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good try, Shika-kun," he acknowledged.

Sasuke hung back. When Iruka finally let Shikamaru go there was this awkward moment, like there always was between them at times when intimacy might or might not be appropriate. Then Sasuke remembered what he had in his pocket.

He pulled out the small packet from his pocket, ripped open a corner and spilled the ring into his palm. Stepping across the space between them, he took Shikamaru's left hand and slid the ring onto his duty finger.

"We refuse to give you up without a fight," he explained.

Shikamaru flushed slightly and, without thinking about it, Sasuke hugged him. He felt sharp bones under loose-fitting clothes. Just how long had Shika been worried about Centre? From the moment they worked out that Izuna had spoken with the Centralite?

Was Iruka correct? Had he been so focused on Izuna that he had lost sight of what was important?

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru murmured.

Sasuke realised that they were still hugging and let go.

It was that weird time of night when you had stayed up so late that it was difficult to know if going to bed was a good idea. Naruto was acting as if it was morning. Shikamaru appeared hyper-alert; Sasuke wondered how much caffeine he had taken.

Sasuke felt as if he had been slowly squashed under some large, heavy object. First there had been the shock of discovering that Shikamaru had gone, followed by fear for Naruto, the pain of Iruka's home truths and then the elation of tracking Shika down.

Now, even with the immediate crisis over, there was the enormity of what he was planning. He was going to try to negotiate with Centre.

"Shall we go to the kitchen for some tea?" Iruka suggested. "You look like you could do with something to eat, Shika-kun."

"That would be good, Iruka-sensei," Shikamaru admitted.

"Will you be joining us?" Iruka asked, looking at Sasuke.

"No," Naruto answered before Sasuke could answer. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei, but no."

Iruka nodded. "Come on then, Shika-kun, Kashi."

They walked away and because Naruto did not move Sasuke did not either. Once they were out of sight, Naruto moved towards him and Sasuke felt arms around him as his feet left the ground.

"I can walk, dobe," he complained but even to his own ears the words seemed unconvincing.

"I know, but I want to carry you." Naruto pulled him close and kissed his forehead. "Iruka-sensei should have been more careful."

Sasuke thought back to what Iruka had said to him and suffered a pang of remembered pain. "No, it was necessary," he admitted. "I almost let him go, dobe."

"So did I," Naruto reminded him. "The three of us got so focused on the possibility of losing Haru."

Sasuke relaxed a little. Naruto was right. It was not about Izuna. It was about the three of them and their determination to protect their son.

* * *

...


	87. Friend

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, superflaj, maliya, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, LillyTigress,'Guest', Laura-Jean95, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, Codydog, kaname-luvr, cynder81, donalgraeme and melissen for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. Reading a review can made my day.

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**There has been a problem with email alerts, so you may like to check that you have read the chapters leading up to this one.**

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_Author's note: There have been some questions about Centre from readers, so I put together answers to frequently asked questions, which you can read at the end of this chapter._

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**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**87: Friend**

* * *

The Elm had set off a day and a night after Shi-chan had come home; Papa had decided that it was better to intercept the Centralite ship well away from Tarrasade.

Inari-san was captain with Tayuya-san, Kuu-chan, Yo-chan and Ya-chan as crew. Hamaki-san, Terai-san and Fu-san had been included as security. Helping Papa prepare for the negotiation were Neji-san, Kakashi-san, Iruka-sensei, To-chan and Shi-chan himself.

It was difficult for those left behind and with every day that passed it got harder. Haru wished he could hide with Ran in Ran's room. He wanted to stay there until Papa sent word.

Only he couldn't. For a start, Ran wasn't in his room. Ran was helping Kiba-san in the playroom. He returned to the crew room each evening utterly exhausted. Apparently Sumiko was acting out, which was not surprising given that no one knew if Shi-chan was coming back or not. Takara and Teruko were behaving as they always did when To-chan wasn't about; looking angelic but causing trouble. Then, just to finish it off, Tsuneo had found out about Shi-chan and was not happy.

It had turned out that Tsu-chan's behaviour could make Takara's and Sumiko's look exemplary.

Kiba-san was doing a lot of growling.

So Haru was hiding in his workroom instead of Ran's room, hoping that if no one saw him they would not think of sending him to the playroom. In truth, he was a bit of a loose end. He was used to working hard on Shi-chan's list and, before that, on finding connections in the database.

He tried calling Sai, but he was busy. Haru guessed he was with Su-chan.

He thought about starting a new project, perhaps going to find Kotetsu-san to talk about robots for exploring planets, but his heart was not in it.

He wanted Shi-chan to come back so much. Just thinking about it made him want to cry.

Then the intercom clicked. Haru tensed. He knew it was not going to be good news.

"_This is Haku. All trainees and junior members of crew who are not on watch or performing essential duties are to come to the large meeting room immediately."_

Haru moved. Based on Haku-san's tone of voice, being last in would not be good.

He wasn't first but he certainly wasn't last. Hikaru was and, given the way Haku-san looked at him, he was going to be in receipt of one of Haku-san's infamous reprimands.

"So you decided to join us, Hikaru-kun? And where were you that it took you so long to respond?"

To Haru's surprise, Hikaru went bright red.

Haku-san fixed him with a look. "I want an answer, Hikaru-kun, and I had better not discover later that you have lied to me."

Hikaru mumbled something.

"Speak up, Hikaru-kun."

"I was in one of the simulators, Haku-san," Hikaru admitted.

Haru was just glad it wasn't him. Haku-san's expression said it all. Hikaru looked like he was going to curl up and turn into a pile of ash.

Then Haku-san turned to the rest of them.

"When a crew is stretched, you are meant to step up. I am ashamed of some of you. Hands up anyone who has volunteered for extra duties or helped out when it wasn't their turn."

Yuki, Hoshi and Isaribi raised a hand. Ran couldn't because he wasn't there. Five was also absent; Haru guessed he was on watch.

"The rest of you need to buck up and it is going to start now." Haku-san took a deep breath. "The playroom is out of action."

Haru wondered what Tsuneo had done; maybe something like the chlorine incident.

"I have decided that you are on childcare duty for the rest of the day. Kazuki, you get Tsuneo. Keizo, you get Shou. Ryuu, you get Nagato."

Haru shuddered. He would get Sumiko, Takara or Aiko. He didn't know which of the three would be worst. On balance, he decided that he wanted Aiko least because that meant changing diapers.

"Ryuka; Naomi. Ayame; Teruko. Hikaru; Takara. Keitaro; Mai. Please pick up your charges from the kitchen now. Haru, please remain behind, I need to speak with you."

Haru could hear Hoshi proposing a play day in the park as they headed out the door.

"Haku-san?" he queried.

Haku-san sighed. "Sumiko is in a bit of a state. I do not think she should be left on her own and I would like you to spend time with her. I do not want you thinking I am punishing you. The sad truth is that her relationship with you, as poor as it is, is better than with anyone else available."

"She likes Ran," Haru pointed out, not because he was trying to avoid his responsibilities but because it was true.

Haku-san sighed again. "Ran-kun has taken a mild sedative and gone to lie down in his room."

"What? Ran's ill?" Haru wanted to go to him.

"Please let him sleep. No, he is not ill. He is tired and, as you can imagine, when the children get worked up it is particularly hard on him." Haku-san fixed him with a look. "Haru-kun, if Shika-san does not come back you will have to be a big brother to Sumiko."

Haru blinked back tears. "I know."

"Good. She ran into her room. You can begin by checking that she is all right."

Instead Haru started with Sai. He activated his earpiece, throat mike and wireless interface.

"Sai?"

This time Sai responded immediately. "Yes, Haru."

"How's Su-chan?"

"I do not know. She has switched off my access to her rooms and she is not wearing an earpiece."

Haru frowned. "I didn't think there was a switch."

There was a short pause. "She disconnected the sensors and the projectors. Thank you for insisting on looking after my array. I think she would have pulled out my wires."

"She was that cross with you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She accused me of ignoring her. Please go and check on her."

Haru was already at the crew room. He knocked on the door to the sitting room Shi-chan and Su-chan shared. There wasn't a response but he had not expected one. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and went in.

"Su-chan?" he tried, knocking on the door of her bedroom.

"Go away!"

It was a hopeful start. At least she was answering "Come out and talk to me." He cast about for what else to say. "I'll make tea."

"Is Sai with you?"

"He's linked to me," Haru admitted.

"Send him away. I don't want him here. I never want to talk to him again."

He stepped away from the door.

"Sai, maybe, for now, I should talk to Su-chan alone."

"I understand," Sai replied. "I did not mean to upset her."

"I know that. We'll talk later."

He walked into the kitchenette, put the water to boil and went back to Su-chan's door.

"He's gone, Su-chan. I've put the kettle on."

She cracked open the door and peered at him through the gap. "I don't like tea."

"Fruit juice?" Haru offered; he could always get some from the kitchen.

She nodded.

There was some in the cool box in the kitchenette. He turned the water heater off and poured them both a cup.

When he returned she was sitting down. Haru gave her one of the cups and looked about. It was pretty obvious where Shi-chan usually sat so he took one of the other seats.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he tried.

She sniffed. "He should have been keeping me company. He knows I'm worried about Nii-san. Instead he was off being her."

Haru was lost.

She scowled at him. "You don't know."

"Know what?"

"He's Hikaru's girlfriend."

Haru gasped, inhaling the fruit juice. He choked and started coughing. Once he had finished, Sumiko was standing in front of him holding out a damped towel.

"What?" he croaked, accepting the towel and cleaning himself up.

"Sai is Hikaru's girlfriend. Or boyfriend. Hikaru can't make his mind up."

Various thoughts converged. It was like having different voices in his head. One of them was working out how it had happened: Hikaru was using Shi-chan's simulator and Sai must have been intrigued. Another was blaming himself because Sai had not actually been breaking the rules; he was allowed to use his code in the two simulators. A third was panicking because the mess could lead to people finding out about Sai. The fourth was saying that Hikaru would never forgive him if he found out the truth.

"You've gone a funny colour," Su-chan observed.

"It's partly my fault," Haru admitted. "I should have told Sai not to have anything to do with the simulator while Hi-chan was using it. I never thought to and I guess Shi-chan didn't either. Su-chan, Hi-chan doesn't think his girlfriend or boyfriend is real. He thinks it's just a simulation."

She scowled at him again. "Sai knows it's real. Sai prefers to spend time fucking with Hikaru than with me."

He really didn't know where to start but Haru knew he had to try.

"Look, Su-chan, Sai isn't good at people-stuff. I know he didn't mean to upset you. He already told me that. Do you want me to talk to him and find out what happened?"

"No. He knew I was worried about Nii-san but he was with Hikaru when I needed him."

"So he made a mistake. People do. Nobody is perfect. Not even Sai." He could see he was making no impression. "Part of loving people is being willing to forgive them, Su-chan."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say because she threw her cup at his head. He managed to dodge the missile but was soaked by the juice; she hadn't drunk much of it. He heard her bedroom door slam.

At least he still had the towel.

He tried but she wouldn't come out again. In the end, he decided to go change; the fruit juice had left him sticky.

Haku-san was in the kitchen. He called Haru over.

"Not a complete success, I see," he observed.

Haru imagined he looked a bit of a mess. "We did talk a bit before she threw her drink over me," Haru replied. He didn't mention her throwing the cup. Haku-san would consider that dangerous and would intervene. "I thought I would give her thirty minutes before having another go."

Haku-san considered and then nodded. "A good plan. Thank you for trying, Haru-kun."

Haru called Sai as soon as he was in his room. The usual projected avatar appeared, perched on Haru's desk.

"You are agitated," Sai observed.

"Yes, I am agitated. You should never have interacted with another person. Never. You are a secret, Sai. It has to remain that way. Shi-chan agrees."

"Hikaru believes it is a simulation," Sai pointed out.

"Show me," Haru ordered.

"These projectors are not of an appropriate standard," Sai argued.

"As close as you can get with this kit. Now, Sai."

The avatar was replaced by a slim young woman. She had long, golden hair and unlikely violet eyes. She was beautiful.

"I studied everything I could find about human beauty," she told him in a warm, melodious voice that was nothing like Sai's. "Then I adapted the avatar according to Hikaru's reaction."

"And the male version?" Haru asked.

It was surprisingly similar but, to Haru, much more attractive.

He pulled himself together. "If Hi-chan ever stops thinking with his penis he'll realise that simulations are never that good." Another thought occurred to him. "It has to end, Sai. What if he falls in love with you?"

"That is unlikely," Sai replied. "He is only interested in fucking and all I do is tell him how wonderful he is."

Haru could see Hikaru falling in love with that.

"It stops, Sai. You build some ordinary simulations, the type Shi-chan could write, based on these characters. You make them so they run with ordinary code and you do not have to guide them."

There was a pause before Sai replied. "They will not be as responsive."

"It will have to do, Sai."

"He will be able to tell the difference."

"I'll worry about that," Haru insisted. Why was Sai being so stubborn? "Tell me you haven't fallen in love with him, Sai."

The golden-haired figure went back to being Sai. "Thank you, Haru Uchiha."

Haru was lost. "Why?"

"For thinking I could fall in love with someone. Hikaru is interesting. I have learned a lot. However, no, I do not love him. I do not know if I am capable of love."

Haru shut his eyes for a moment. Had he said everything?

"You promise you will build the ordinary simulations and not to interact with Hikaru or anyone else other than me, Su-chan, Shi-chan, Ran or Ka-chan."

"Never?"

"Until I give you permission." He thought about it. "Or in a dire emergency when someone's life is in danger."

"I promise."

"Good." Haru took a deep breath. "Now, Su-chan."

Sai might struggle to give a convincing smile but he could look sad.

"She is upset."

"Very," Haru confirmed. "You chose a really bad time to let her down, Sai. She is terrified that Shi-chan won't come back. She needed you and you weren't there."

"Both the simulation and being with Su-chan need all my attention. I cannot do both. I asked Sumiko-chan if I should stop the simulation and she said 'be with Hikaru if that's what you want'."

The perfect imitation of Sumiko speaking would have been funny at any other time. "Sai, you were meant to say that you did not want to be with Hikaru if she needed you."

"I was?"

"You were."

"Be with Hikaru did not mean be with Hikaru?"

"No."

"I should have prioritised the second part of the sentence?"

"Yes. Or you should have ignored what she was saying and thought about the situation. Who needs you more, Hikaru or Sumiko?"

"Hikaru was about to achieve orgasm," Sai pointed out. "Perhaps his immediate need was greater."

Haru had not wanted to know that. "Sai, Su-chan is a little girl whose biggest fear is being abandoned because the two people she loved most died. The person she now loves more than anyone else in the world may never come back to her. You are the person she loves most next to Shi-chan. She needed you."

"Oh."

Haru was beginning to worry that Ran was right; perhaps Sai was unable to make such judgements because he was incapable of feeing emotions.

"Will Sumiko-chan ever talk to me again?"

The truth was, Haru did not know. "I am sure you can make it up to her. Start sorting out the mess with Hikaru and I will do what I can. Be available if I call you."

He had a quick shower to wash the dried fruit juice out of his hair and dressed in clean clothes. He did consider, for a moment, knocking on the door to Ran's room but decided against it. As Haku-san said, Ran needed to rest.

Also, he might say something Haru didn't want to hear, like weakening the bond between Sumiko and Sai was a good thing.

Then it was back to Su-chan and Shi-chan's sitting room. He knocked on Sumiko's door.

"It's Haru. I've talked with Sai. He is sad. He knows he mucked up and upset you. He got muddled up because you didn't talk straight to him. You know how literal he is."

There was silence. Haru decided to give it two minutes and timed it on his chronometer because he knew that it would feel like much longer than that.

At one hundred and two seconds the door opened a little. Sumiko looked at him through the crack. She looked awful; her eyes were almost swollen shut with crying.

"I still don't want to talk to him."

"Fine. Come out and talk to me." He cast about for something they could do together. "Wash your face, brush your hair, put on yellow clothes and I'll take you to the park for a picnic."

She sniffed. "Don't be silly. I don't wear yellow anymore."

"Pink?" Haru guessed.

"I'll be out in a minute," she told him.

It was more than a minute but Haru didn't mind. When she appeared her eyes looked a bit better and she was wearing a mottled green dress with green leggings.

"That's pretty," he told her. He had planned to say it anyway but it was easy because she looked nice.

She held out a brush to him. "Nii-san helps me with my hair and it's got into a mess because he isn't here."

Haru could see that. The back was all tangled. He accepted the brush with trepidation. "I'm not good with long hair," he admitted. He imagined Sumiko's reaction if he made it worse. "Why don't we see if anyone else is available? Maybe Yuki or Hoshi?"

She considered. "Have you ever brushed long hair?"

"No."

He could see her thinking about what it might be like. "Fine."

Haku-san spotted them as soon as they emerged. Haru felt Sumiko's reaction. He knew she was on the edge of fleeing back into her bedroom.

"Su-chan needs help with her hair," he announced. "We were going to look for Yuki."

Haku-san smiled at them. It was a bit of a shock but Sumiko seemed to like it.

"Come here and I will do it."

Once they were sitting at the kitchen table with cups of fruit juice and cookies, Haku-san went to get what he referred to as his equipment.

Haru only ever used a comb so a tray full of pretty objects was not what he expected. There were two combs, two brushes, a mirror with a handle, a jar of hair clips and a spray bottle. They were all decorated with stylised enamel flowers and they all matched, even the tray.

It was clever of Haku-san. Sumiko was fascinated, as she always was by beautiful things.

Haku-san sprayed Su-chan's hair with some stuff that loosened the tangles. Then he started combing it through.

"We will need some ribbons, Su-chan. Can Haru get those for you?"

She considered, scowling slightly, but then nodded.

Haru had never been in Su-chan's bedroom before. He guessed it was normally neat but that was before she had opened all the access panels and yanked out every wire she could find.

He sighed. He did not have time to mend it now. Instead he went to where she had said the ribbons were and picked out all the ones that looked like they might match her dress. He was about to leave again when he spotted some gold hair clips with butterflies.

The selection earned him another smile from Haku-san. Haru watched, intrigued, as Haku-san wove ribbons through Sumiko's hair and secured the resulting arrangement with clips before adding the butterflies. A few practiced tweaks and her face was softened by small curls, matching the cascade of loose ringlets down her back.

"It's really pretty," Haru assured her. He caught the beginning of a frown. "For special occasions," he added quickly. "The way Shi-chan does it for every day is just fine."

She relaxed and actually smiled.

Haku-san gave him an approving nod.

As they were about to leave for the park with a small basket of food, Haku-san touched his arm. "Today, Haru-kun, you remind me of your Papa," he whispered.

Sumiko was a bit peeved when she realised that the other children were in the park as well but she recovered quickly. They sat in one of the smaller tree houses, away from where everyone else was playing.

Once they had finished eating, Haru had another go.

"Sai got it wrong. He knows that now. You said 'be with Hikaru' and he never got past that bit to consider the 'if' that came afterwards."

She sniffed. "He prefers Hikaru to me."

"No he doesn't. Really he doesn't. He got interesting in making the simulation. It was a challenge for him." A thought occurred to him. "He was probably using it as an opportunity to improve his skills."

"She is very pretty."

Haru hadn't realised that Sai had shown Su-chan the 'girlfriend'. He shrugged. "I guess so. She must be what Hikaru thinks of as pretty."

"I will never be pretty like that. Or pretty like Ino-san and Sakura-san."

Haru was quickly getting out of his depth. "Sorry, Su-chan, I don't understand why you would want to be like anyone else. You are fine the way you are."

"People don't like me."

He almost said that being pretty wouldn't stop her being annoying and difficult but stopped himself. "Do you like Takara?"

Sumiko frowned at him. "No."

"Is she pretty?"

The frown deepened into a scowl. "Yes."

"So being pretty doesn't make people like you." He pushed the basket towards her. "Do you want another cake?"

"No, I prefer the strawberries," she replied, taking another one. "I shall give Sai another chance," she decided. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"Good. Do you want me to mend the wiring in your room? We could do that next."

She nodded.

She had literally pulled every wire loose, so it took most of the afternoon to check each one and redo all the broken or compromised connections. To Haru's surprise she was willing to sit with him and hand him each tool as he needed it. Maybe it was something she would have done with Shi-chan.

Finally they had finished.

"Do you want to call Sai?" he asked. He had checked with her a number of times during the afternoon, she could have talked to him using a mike and earpiece, but she had said no.

"Yes," she decided. "Sai!"

He appeared at once, sitting on the other bed. "I am sorry, Sumiko-chan."

"I forgive you," she announced. "Don't do something like that again."

Sai smiled. "Thank you Sumiko-chan."

As Haru crept from the room, leaving them talking, he realised that Sai's smile for Su-chan had been in no way perfect, it was a little lopsided, but it had been very real.

* * *

.

* * *

_Author's note_

_There have been some questions about Centre from readers, so I put together the following._

* * *

FAQs about Centre

* * *

_What is Centre?_

Centre is the centre of known space. It is currently the dominant human civilisation and has been so for over a hundred thousand standards. Known space was defined by Centralite explorers, known as Space Hoppers, and developed by the Colonial Service.

_How does Centre relate to the rest of known space?_

Modern Centre is very defined. It is five systems, linked by gates. Beyond Centre are the Borders, which consist of many more systems. Beyond the Borders is the Fringe. Beyond the Fringe is the Far Fringe.

The control that Centre chooses to exert over the Borders and the Fringe is limited. The principle is that enough control is exerted so that life in Centre is not affected by what goes on in the Borders and the Fringe. This means that more control is exerted over the Borders, which are closer, that the Fringe.

_Who lives in Centre?_

Inhabitants of Centre, Centralites, are mostly Residents. To be a Resident, a person must adhere to the Centralite Code, which defines acceptable behaviour. If a person displays behaviour that is not acceptable, he or she had to agree to personality modification ('conditioning') or he or she will be exiled. Aberrant behaviour is unacceptable and, if judged to be a hazard to others, leads to the individual 'going under the helmet' and being partially or totally mindwiped.

A tiny proportion of Centralites are citizens. To be a citizen, a person must have served a term, ten standards, in the Central Civil Service. All positions of power in Centre are held by citizens. All decisions are made by them.

The population of Residents is held steady by controlling immigration and breeding.

_What is the Central Civil Service?_

The Central Civil Service, or CCS, is the organisation that runs Centre. Those currently serving their ten standard terms are called Servants. Those who choose to stay in the CCS after the ten standard term are called Citizen Servants and are the most powerful people in Centre. Servants wear blue. Citizen Servants wear black.

All citizens receive a pension that means that they can afford to live in Centre with full health benefits, including age retard. At any time, a citizen can exchange his or her pension for a lump sum and choose voluntary exile.

To become a Servant, a person must excel on the CCS entrance examination and survive the training. Applications are accepted from any purebred human (no hybrids); origin does not matter. Over half the current Servants are from the Borders or the Fringe.

_How does the CCS operate?_

A small amount of CCS activity involves running, supplying and policing Centre. The majority of its activity is about ensuring that nothing happening in the Borders or the Fringe impacts on Centralite life.

To do this they require the means to eliminate anything considered to be a threat. So far, all threats have been eliminated. Known examples include everything up to and including multi-system empires. Usually, threats do not get that large because they are identified early and dealt with by CCS fringe agents, who are highly skilled Servants or Citizen Servants.

_What is it about Centre and typed-geniuses?_

Once all aberrant and unacceptable behaviour was defined and eliminated, Centralite psychologists woke up to the fact that geniuses had become few and far between. Genius, by its very nature, was different enough to generate unacceptable behaviours.

So they started testing children. If a child was considered a genius, the conditioning he or she received was limited. As long as aberrant behaviour was eliminated, unacceptable behaviour was tolerated in a genius.

Over centuries, the concept of typed-geniuses emerged. These were the geniuses among geniuses. In a typed-genius, aberrant behaviour is tolerated. However, they are placed in the care of the Institute of Psychology on Centre I.

Then someone noticed a correlation. Most of the incidents in the Border or the Fringe requiring CCS attention had a genius involved in their inception. The worst ones were often caused by a typed-genius. This was usually, but not always, a typed-five.

So, to save resources, typed-geniuses are harvested.

_What was before Centre?_

Before Centre there were other dominant civilisations, but only traces of those remain. (There is more about this in my profile under 'The World of Mannah Pierce'.)

* * *

.

* * *

...


	88. Negotiation

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, superflaj, maliya, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, 'Guest', Laura-Jean95, JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, Codydog, kaname-luvr, cynder81, LillyTigress, donalgraeme and melissen for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, when spells go wrong, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.

It is difficult to write at the moment. Real life is getting in the way and I have lost momentum. I have finished chapter 89, 90 and 91 but that is all so I think Saturday-only posting will continue or I may run out of material.

All encouragement gratefully received.

* * *

**There has been a problem with email alerts, so you may like to check that you have read the chapters leading up to this one.**

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 9: Family**

**88: Negotiation**

* * *

By the time they jumped into the same system as the Centralite ship, Sasuke had his list of things they could offer and that Centre might want.

It started with a collection of rare information Shikamaru had accumulated and then ran: acting as Centre's agent; the minigates, opportunities to study Shikamaru; the route finder.

Sasuke himself had swung between moments of optimism, when he imagined convincing Centre to leave Shikamaru with them because it was the right thing to do, and waking up in a sweat from nightmares in which he was running through the household on Tarrasade looking for anyone that Centre had missed when they had taken his family.

There was nothing to be gained from delay. They were as ready as they ever would be. Sasuke ordered Inari to send his request for a real-time video link with Citizen Servant Ector Bettencourt.

Sasuke took a deep breath. He often spoke with strangers over a live link. Neji had the process carefully refined: the position of the display so that he could make good eye contact; the crest on the wall; his desk; his jacket; the way he positioned his hand to display his rings.

Only there had never been a Centralite, worse a Citizen Servant, on the other end.

He told himself that Ector Bettencourt could not be any more imposing than Klennethon Darrent had been.

Naruto and Kakashi were hovering beyond the camera and the display; Naruto to give him support and Kakashi in case he needed more advice than Neji could give him. Shikamaru and Iruka were monitoring the meeting remotely; Neji thought that having Shikamaru present might disturb Sasuke's composure.

Neji was counting down with his fingers. Then a man's face and upper torso appeared on the display. He was wearing the black uniform of a permanent member of the Centralite Civil Service.

"Citizen Servant, it is generous of you to accept my request for contact," Sasuke began.

The man did not reply immediately. Sasuke reminded himself to not judge this man by spacer standards or even to expect him to understand the spacer code.

_"You are Sasuke Uchiha?_" the man checked.

Sasuke settled for a small bow.

_"You look remarkably like your relative, given the number of generations between you. I did not realise that spacer clans were so inbred."_

Neji was signalling that he should stay calm; that the man, who was presumably Bettencourt, might be trying to annoy him.

"We are both Uchiha," Sasuke acknowledged. "I believe that you may have business with me."

Bettencourt raised an eyebrow slightly. _"I have an interest in the man who goes by the name of Shikamaru, from the family line Nara, who was born on the planet Darrenden to parents Shikaku and Yoshino."_

Straight to the heart of the matter; Sasuke's heart rate quickened. "Shikamaru is sworn to Uchiha. He has dedicated his life to the clan and I, as his clan leader, am responsible for his safety and welfare."

_"He is a typed-seven genius. Centre's stated intention is to claim all typed-geniuses. Humanity is much safer when such minds are controlled rather than allowed to run amok."_

It irritated Sasuke that Centre should claim to care for anyone other than Centralites. "You are outside Centre's jurisdiction here," he stated, ignoring the way Neji's eyes widened and his gestures for calm intensified.

_"That is an interesting point of view,_" Bettencourt replied. _"I shall humour it for now."_

The man was so condescending that Sasuke ached to wipe the smug expression of superiority off his face.

_"You say that Shikamaru owes a lifetime of service to your clan,"_ Bettencourt continued. _"How much to buy him?"_

Rage exploded from somewhere deep within. Every iota of Sasuke's common sense was incinerated. He was on his feet snarling at the camera. "Who do you think you are? How dare to come to my home and offer to buy a member of my family. You have no honour. Say that again to my face and you will face my knife!"

Then he realised that the display had gone blank. It distracted him enough to get a hold of his temper. He sank back down into his chair.

What had he done? How much damage had he caused?

Why wasn't Kakashi ripping him apart?

Neji turned to Naruto and gave a small smile. "Thank you Naruto-san."

"Any time," Naruto replied, twirling the end of the power cable about his head.

"How much do you think he saw or heard?" Kakashi asked.

"No words," Neji confirmed. "He may have seen the beginning of Sasuke-sama's change of expression but I believe we cut the power before the snarl of murderous intent."

Relief washed through him. "You were ready for it," he complained.

"Not for something so extreme or so soon," Neji admitted. "However I had asked Naruto-san to interrupt the power supply if he believed that you were going to say something we might regret. I believe that Ector Bettencourt is the Central Civil Service equivalent of a Hyuga combined with a highly qualified psychologist. In other words, Sasuke-sama, he can play you as well as you play your biwa."

Sasuke's body was buzzing with the aftermath of his anger. How in known space was he going to negotiate with someone who could make him lose his temper that quickly?

The intercom clicked.

"_This is Inari. We apologised to the Centralite ship for the loss of contact as Neji-san had instructed but the Citizen Servant is asking to speak to Sasuke-sama as soon as it can be arranged."_

"Do you think you can hold it together?" Kakashi asked.

"We can always pull the plug again," Naruto added.

Sasuke straightened his jacket and sat down at his desk. "Make the link," he ordered.

This time they stared at each other. Sasuke was determined to wait him out. After a few long seconds, the man smiled slightly.

_"Uchiha-sama,"_ he acknowledged.

The tone and the address were unexpectedly pleasant. Sasuke told himself that it was merely another way of manipulating him. "Bettencourt-san," he replied. He decided to take the initiative. "I believe that you may be under a misapprehension. Shikamaru-san is not a resource or a commodity. He is a person, a member of my family and a close personal friend."

Bettencourt bowed slightly._ "I apologise, Uchiha-sama. I felt obliged to check that you do not see Shikamaru in the same way as Izuna Uchiha sees him. May we move forward by me sharing my point of view?"_

"That would be useful," Sasuke admitted. "Please continue."

_"When Izuna Uchiha told me that Shikamaru was a typed-seven genius, I doubted the accuracy of the information. There are many myths about typed-geniuses. The term is often applied wrongly to those at the edge of human variation rather than those far beyond it._

_"I searched the data bases for the information we hold on him. His family line had been flagged for testing for generations. His test scores were more impressive than his father's but not truly exceptional._

_"Only once I was back in Centre, we had a case conference and my opinion began to evolve. Experts had examined the actual records of the tests he had taken, rather than merely the scores. Uchiha-sama, a child of three standards who can cheat so well that it took us over three decades to detect it is more than exceptional._

_"So I was dispatched to investigate further and to make a recommendation based on my findings. I started this journey willing to believe that Shikamaru was a typed-genius but by no means convinced. Even if he was, he was unlikely to be a typed-seven. It was much more likely he was a typed-five. Typed-fives are by no means common but they are approximately ten thousand times more common than typed-sevens._

_"Then, astonishingly, I get a light speed message. Someone has walked into the recruiting office in Tarrasade, taken the entrance test and registered a perfect typed-seven score. And, yes, the genetic profile proves it is Shikamaru."_

Sasuke wanted to beat his forehead against the surface of his desk. Maybe, if Shikamaru had not been so keen to protect Haru, they could have fed Bettencourt's predisposition to believe that his ability fell short of Centre's requirements.

Bettencourt was continuing. _"So we have an interesting situation, Uchiha-sama. Some of my superiors wish me to implement official Centralite policy, which is to bring in any typed-genius detected. Others question that policy. Do you know why, Uchiha-sama?"_

"Because all the typed-seven geniuses taken to Centre go insane?" Sasuke suggested.

_"It is true that all the typed-seven geniuses acquired by Centre over the centuries have been non-functional,_" Bettencourt admitted. _"However, that is not why some of my superiors question official policy. The problem is, Uchiha-sama, that it is impossible to make typed-seven geniuses perform typed-seven behaviours."_

Sasuke could not help smiling at that.

_"I see that I have struck a chord. The truth is that is frighteningly easy to destroy typed-seven geniuses and impossible to control them. There have been a few cases where psychologists thought they were in control, but it was invariably an illusion."_

Sasuke decided that it was time to start bargaining. He kept an eye on Neji, ready to modify what he was saying according to any advice he was receiving.

"Shikamaru-san is much better off living with us than he would be in the Institute on Centre I," he offered.

_"That may be true but it is unlikely to convince my superiors,"_ Bettencourt countered.

Neji gave him the signal to try number four on the list they had prepared. "Shikamaru-san is much more likely to cooperate with you if he is where he wishes to be than if he is being incarcerated against his will."

Bettencourt's eyes lit up. _"That, Uchiha-sama, is interesting."_

* * *

Shikamaru did not know how he felt about meeting Ector Bettencourt. He did not like the idea of being an object of study, but it would be a small price to pay if it would keep Centre away from Haru and Sai.

He knew he should not trust Bettencourt because the man had amazing manipulative skills. On the other hand, he was coming onto the Elm alone, which showed impressive commitment.

It was only for twenty minutes; a taster to give Sasuke some ammunition for the subsequent negotiation.

Because, incredibly, Sasuke's crazy idea appeared to be working.

It proved to be a little unnerving but otherwise boring. Bettencourt seemed content just to watch him. Neji was his usual impassive self. Naruto was in bodyguard mode.

Shikamaru was wishing that they had included Iruka, who would have managed the conversation.

"Would you like some more tea, Bettencourt-san?" Neji asked.

"No thank you, Neji-san," Bettencourt replied.

Shikamaru's dislike of boredom won out. "Are there no questions you wish to ask me, Bettencourt-san?"

Bettencourt gave a small, contented sigh. "Thousands, Shikamaru-san. However, at this moment, I am still marvelling that you wear clothes and communicate using comprehendible sentences, never mind that you bother with social niceties."

"My mother was very particular about such things," Shikamaru admitted.

"May I ask questions about your background and experiences, Shikamaru-san? Such questions are utterly unacceptable in Centralite society and, I believe, similar conventions exist in spacer culture."

"Go ahead. I can always choose not to answer."

"Whom in your life now fulfils that function?"

It was an interesting question. In his head he answered it directly; Iruka and Sumiko. Out loud he was less forthcoming. "Traditional spacer crews have many conventions and routines," he replied. "Various people in the crew require me to comply."

"Is that so? There have been several occasions where psychologists have tried to insist that typed-seven geniuses follow routines. None were successful."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Maybe they didn't start young enough. Maybe it requires the mother-child bond to set the behaviours. Maybe the caregiver wasn't tough enough, or not loving enough, or maybe he or she was alienated by the child's behaviour." He stopped, aware of a new expression on Bettencourt's face but unable to interpret it. He looked to Neji.

"Bettencourt-san is wishing he had asked if he could record your conversation," Neji pointed out.

Shikamaru smiled at him. "Then that should be one of things you should mention when you negotiate with Sasuke-sama, Bettencourt-san."

The twenty minutes were soon up and Naruto escorted Bettencourt back to the secure shuttle bay while Shikamaru and Neji joined Sasuke, Iruka and Kakashi in the meeting room. Once Naruto arrived, they settled down to discuss what they had learned.

"Did anything strike you, Shika-san?" Sasuke began.

Shikamaru shrugged. "He was very careful not to upset me. It felt like he thought I would break if he breathed on me."

Neji suddenly laughed, which surprised Shikamaru and, from their expressions, shocked the others.

"Neji-san?" Sasuke queried.

"Sasuke-sama, I believe that Centre has no idea that a typed-seven genius can be useful. I am sure of it. Their experience tells them that typed-seven geniuses are fragile, unreliable and incomprehensible."

Pieces came together from various layers and corners of Shikamaru's mind. It made sense. It even explained some of Klenn's attitude to him.

"So if he was a typed-five they would not hesitate to take him," Kakashi suggested.

There was silence; Haru was a typed-five.

"We're not going to let them anywhere near Haru," Iruka reminded them.

Shikamaru tried not to dwell too much on protecting Haru and keeping Sai a secret. Instead he thought about what Bettencourt had told him. "You know, I think I could spout any old nonsense and the Centralite psychologists wouldn't question it."

Neji made a sound suspiciously close to a chuckle. "No, they would make recording of it and then pour over it for standards. In two centuries' time some young, radical scholar would write a paper suggesting that you had been conning them and be ostracised for it."

Naruto was frowning. "But you are obviously not useless. You wear a knife, which shows you can fight. Lots of people outside Uchiha know you have a reputation for problem-solving. Ask anyone who knows about Uchiha and they will say that you are one of the keys to Uchiha's success."

"That's the wonderful thing about Centre," Kakashi pointed out. "They won't ask anyone. They value their opinion far above anyone else's." He frowned. "It would be different if they had put one of their Fringe Agents onto it, but they haven't. We're dealing with scientists who only care about their research."

"So what next?" Iruka asked.

Next were several live video links between Sasuke and Bettencourt, during which they arranged a series of meetings spread across the next fifty standards. Centralite psychologists would interview Shikamaru under the supervision of Uchiha personnel in the secure suite of an Uchiha ship. In return, Centre would leave Shikamaru with his family.

Key to the agreement was Bettencourt's report stating that Shikamaru's stability was dependent on him staying with the people who had cared for him for the last two decades and supported him through his parents' deaths.

Throughout the negotiation, Shikamaru had expected Bettencourt to ask to examine him or at least interview him but he hadn't. It was odd. Lady knew what evidence he was going to base his report on; Shikamaru didn't.

Then, at the end of the second day, as they were closing the deal, Bettencourt asked. Or rather he demanded. He wanted a face-to-face, private interview with Shikamaru or the agreement was off.

"I am sorry, Shika," Sasuke admitted. "I should have seen it coming. He's been far too nice throughout."

"I think I can cope with him," Shikamaru assured him.

"Naruto will be in the room," Sasuke assured him. "He will wear earplugs and he will promise not to read lips but he will watch the whole time. If you signal for help or Bettencourt steps out of line, Naruto will subdue him."

Shikamaru tried not to think how Centre would react if one of its permanent Civil Servants was 'subdued' by a hybrid.

They settled face to face across a table. Naruto was standing behind Bettencourt with his back to the wall.

"Shikamaru-san," Bettencourt acknowledged. "Thank you for agreeing to see me."

"Bettencourt-san," Shikamaru replied. "You left me no choice. I don't know how familiar you are with highly functional hybrids, Bettencourt-san, but I would recommend not making any sudden movements towards me. Naruto-san can be overprotective and he moves so fast that you would not have time to explain."

"I understand, Shikamaru-san. Now, to my reason for requesting this interview. The agreement we have come up with will satisfy my superiors and delight the psychologists. I am sure that you can come up with various intriguing ways to behave when they interview you."

Icy fingers of dread crept up Shikamaru's spine. This was a very different Bettencourt from the man he had met before. The fascinated scientist had gone, replaced by someone much more dangerous.

"Please do not look like that, Shikamaru-san, or I fear Naruto-san will pull my head from my shoulders."

Shikamaru tried to relax. "Then I suggest you stop scaring me."

Bettencourt smiled, which helped a little. "I apologise. We had a mutual acquaintance. Someone that you called a friend but, to my regret, I could not."

"Klenn," Shikamaru whispered.

"Yes, Citizen Klennethon Darrent. The one typed-genius who got away."

"Is that why they would not take my application?"

"Yes, typed-geniuses are now refused entry to the CCS via the usual entrance examination." Bettencourt studied him for a few minutes and then nodded, as if he had made a decision. "Klennethon Darrent asked me to look out for you. He suggested this strategy should Centre's attention fall on you."

Shikamaru wondered if Klenn had asked Bettencourt to look out for Haru as well. He couldn't ask; it was too risky. Bettencourt himself had warned them that typed-fives were routinely acquired. As for Sai; Bettencourt was a Centralite and Centre had been founded by anti-Tronny zealots.

Thinking of that made him question Bettencourt's loyalties. He pointed to the black uniform. "But you are sworn to the CCS, as I am sworn to Uchiha."

Bettencourt hesitated before answering. "It is not in the interests of the Central Civil Service or Centre itself to take you to Centre against your will, is it?"

Shikamaru felt himself flush. "Given that they think I am harmless, not really," he admitted.

"I am therefore content that my actions are consistent with my oath. Also, what I have written in my report is true. I cannot be held responsible for the way my superiors and the psychologists choose to fill in the spaces between those truths.

"And, perhaps, in the future, when I have retired, you will indulge me by answering some of the questions I choose not to ask, like how you knew I was on my way to Tarrasade, how Uchiha travels so quickly and whether any of the multitude of rumours about you are true."

Shikamaru decided the safest answer was a smile.

Bettencourt stood up. "It has been an honour and a privilege, Shikamaru-san. I look forward to our next meeting."

Shikamaru got to his feet and signalled to Naruto to remove the earplugs. "Likewise, Bettencourt-san. Naruto-san will see you out."

Then, once they had gone, he shut his eyes and thanked Klenn for his protection.

* * *

...


	89. Proposals

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

* * *

Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, superflaj, maliya, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, 'Guest', JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, Codydog, kaname-luvr, cynder81, donalgraeme, melissen andLillyTigress, Laura-Jean95 and when spells go wrong for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.

It is difficult to write at the moment. All encouragement is gratefully received.

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 10: Endgame**

**89: Proposals**

* * *

Sasuke stared at the tiny box bearing the seal of the Central Civil Service. Naruto had placed it on the table when he had entered; after he had escorted Bettencourt to the shuttle bay.

"Do we know what's in it?" Iruka asked.

"A message tape," Naruto told them. "For Izuna Uchiha. He asked us to deliver it."

Shikamaru had that far away look that meant he was thinking even more deeply than usual.

"Why ask us?" Kakashi questioned. "Why not use a courier? Or send a light speed message via the Stellar Exchange?"

"Bettencourt-san wishes us to know it has been sent," Neji replied.

"It will be a threat," Shikamaru announced. "It will be worded very politely but it will tell him to leave me alone."

There was a silence that Iruka finally broke.

"What did Bettencourt-san say to you, Shika-kun?" he asked gently.

Shikamaru's gaze was still very far away. He shook his head. "I am not free to say," he replied. He briefly made eye contact with Sasuke, promising more when they were alone.

"How can we take advantage of it?" Sasuke asked.

"Threatening an Uchiha never works," Kakashi pointed out. "It implies that they can be intimidated and they hate that. They come out fighting, even more determined to achieve what they set out to do."

Sasuke guessed that was true.

"What are his weaknesses?" Neji asked. "Does he have vulnerabilities we can exploit?"

"He likes being pampered," Iruka replied. "That's how Haku handled him."

"He wants to be treated with respect," Kakashi added. "He believes that it is his right."

"He is conceited," Neji contributed.

Sasuke stiffened. He could not help it. Despite everything that had happened, Izuna was Izuna Uchiha and it did not feel right to criticise him.

"He is greedy," Shikamaru added. "I'll never forget how his eyes lit up when I offered him those petacredits."

That reminded Sasuke of what had happened next; Izuna had drugged Shika and tried to rape him. This was not his boyhood hero; Izuna had endangered his family again and again. His eyes went to Naruto, who had said nothing since telling them what the box contained. "Naruto?"

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "What does he want?"

From experience, Sasuke knew that Naruto's straightforward questions often got to the heart of the matter. "To be clan leader," he replied.

"Does the clan have to be new Uchiha?" Naruto queried.

* * *

Madara settled at his desk. Kimimaro waited the usual interval, Madara suspected he timed it, and then appeared in the doorway.

"Tea, Uchiha-sama?"

He still missed Sakura, even though thinking about her made him angry. Sakura would have known just from looking at him that he wanted coffee rather than tea. "Coffee please, Kimimaro-san."

He had asked an agency to find a replacement but neither of the women who had made it as far as a trial had been suitable. Even if they had been, Madara did not know if he could bring himself to trust them.

He was sipping his coffee and reviewing his diary when he heard the distant tone of the outer door announcer. Kimimaro answered it and then was in his office, despite having not asked permission to enter.

"It is a group of Uchiha crew members, Uchiha-sama."

That explained Kimimaro's agitation.

"The one who was Itachi Uchiha is among them," Kimimaro added. "Also the Uchiha queen, Haku."

"Any hybrids?" Madara asked. He could not imagine Itachi and Haku out and about without Kisame.

"The sharkman," Kimimaro confirmed.

"Calm down, Kimimaro-san. I need you at my side doing your job, not thinking about how you could fight the sharkman."

"I could beat him, Uchiha-sama."

"I am sure you could." Madara doubted it. From what he understood only Naruto had defeated Kisame and that was because Kisame had thrown the fight. "However this is not the time and the place."

Kimimaro calmed himself. "Shall I send them away?"

Madara considered. Three different security experts had assured him that there were no bugs in his apartment or office. Although he had no doubt that Shikamaru could design undetectable bugs, he had decided that Haku had sent him his things because it was the right thing to do rather than for any ulterior motive.

"Find out what they want," he decided.

It was a few minutes. Madara hoped that Kimimaro would not have a meltdown and challenge Kisame or, worse, just attack him. Then, thankfully, Kimimaro reappeared.

"They have two messages for you, Uchiha-sama, and would like to wait to see if you have a reply."

Madara considered. "Accept the messages and tell them they can wait to see if I wish to reply." He could always keep them waiting and then send them away empty-handed. "They can wait in the outer receiving room. I want you in your office." It was important to have Kimimaro where he could keep an eye on him.

The messages were on tapes. One was sealed with Sasuke Uchiha's personal seal, rather than the clan leader's seal.

The other was boxed, like message tapes always had been when he was young. It was also sealed but he did not recognise the impression. He looked more closely and his heart speeded up. It was Centre.

He broke the less familiar seal, tipped out the tape and put it into the player. An image of Ector Bettencourt appeared.

"_This is a message to Izuna Uchiha from Ector Bettencourt speaking on behalf of the Central Civil Service and the Institute of Psychology on Centre 1."_

The image smiled.

"_I thought that I would update you, Izuna-sama. Thank you for bringing Shikamaru to our notice. We are very grateful. After reviewing the case we have decided that Shikamaru should remain with his family."_

Madara was struggling to take it in. His ploy both had and had not worked. He had succeeded in focusing Centre's attention on Shikamaru only for them to decide not to take him.

"_Shikamaru is a unique individual. To Centre, his welfare is of paramount importance. We are content that his welfare is best served by being where he is, surrounded by his crew and his family." _The smile vanished. _"We would not look kindly on any attempt to take him from his family or to disrupt that family."_ The smile returned. _"I am sure that we can rely on you to act in the best interests of the Uchiha clan."_

The image vanished to be replaced by the Central Civil Service crest and anthem, confirming that it was an official communication.

Madara stared at the display. It was a threat. Centre was threatening him. He went to the side and poured himself a whisky. He told himself that his hand was shaking with anger rather than fear.

If they decided to snuff him out he would be gone. Everyone knew that Centre's fringe agents made even the Sisterhood look like amateurs.

He pulled himself together. The two messages had to be connected; otherwise they would have been delivered separately. He went back to his desk and replaced the tape in the player with the one from Sasuke.

Sasuke was sitting at his desk but there were few of the trapping of a clan leader on display. On close inspection he was wearing his rings but there had been no attempt to ensure that they would be seen.

He looked even more like Izuna than usual.

"_You are Izuna Uchiha. This is the clan you founded. We honour you for what you achieved. However this is now my clan to lead. I have dedicated my life to fulfilling that role. Those sworn to Uchiha expect and want me to lead them._

"_There is still a place for you in this clan. A position where your experience is valued. A life as Izuna Uchiha, legend and hero. Or perhaps you wish to start again; well-funded and far away. The second message on this tape expands on that possibility._

"_All I would require is you word not to claim or challenge for the leadership and a promise not to work against my and new Uchiha's interests._

"_Please consider this a basis for future discussion."_

Madara stopped the tape and drained the last of his whisky. The juxtaposition of the threat and the invitation was clever. So was the choice of messengers; he missed Haku almost as much as he missed Sakura and Itachi was living proof that Sasuke Uchiha believed in redemption.

Izuna would have happily settled into the role of wise uncle. Madara could imagine him burbling on about how wonderful it was to see what had grown from the seeds he had planted so long ago.

That was the problem. They had been Izuna's seeds; it was Izuna's harvest.

Even if he became leader it would not be as himself. It would be as Izuna. Only he would know his true identity. He would add to Izuna's reputation, not to that of Madara Uchiha.

Maybe the idea of going away, starting again, was worth considering.

He restarted the tape.

The proposal was ridiculously generous: an unpopulated system with three planets, one of them habitable, ships, two gates, a space station, top-rated anti-ageing technology and an eye-watering amount of credit to launch a new clan.

It included none of the things that gave new Uchiha its advantage: no route finder, no minigates, no improvers. On the other hand, no one in that sector of the Far Fringe had half the technology he would be taking with him.

He could be Madara Uchiha. He could found his own clan. All he had to do was let go of his claim on this one.

And leave Tarrasade; the space station he had designed and built. He would never see his home again.

He called Kimimaro, intending to tell him to relay a message to Haku. Then, at the last moment, he changed his mind.

"Ask Haku-san if he would join me in my office."

Haku was wearing a kimono rather than his uniform. Madara knew it was another attempt to manipulate him but could not help but appreciate it.

"Allow me the honour of making you tea, Izuna-sama," Haku requested respectfully.

"That would be most appreciated, Haku-san. Thank you," he replied.

It reminded Madara of how much better his day-to-day life had been when he was living in the Uchiha household.

If he took the offer, he would no longer have to worry about what the media would think and the questions they might ask. He could go to one of the geisha schools and buy the contracts of his pick of perfectly trained young ladies.

He sipped his tea. It was perfect, unlike Kimimaro's attempts.

"Do you know the contents of Sasuke-sama's message?" he asked.

"A little of it, Izuna-sama," Haku admitted. "Sasuke-sama has come to accept that you are in your prime; a man of action, a leader. Such a man cannot sit in another man's household playing the role of an elderly relative. He also regretfully accepts that his beliefs and aims do not overlap with yours sufficiently to permit close cooperation. This is his solution; an attempt to give you back what you lost."

"How will Uchiha afford it?" He was interested in whether Haku had been told to answer such questions or to pretend that he did not know.

"We will give up the plan of developing the third string of systems for now," Haku explained. "Two of the gates we had ordered will go to you and the third will be sold to fund your venture."

It was a significant sacrifice. Sasuke was determined to be more than fair.

There would be no more pretending to be Izuna, no more fucking males because he did not dare act on his attraction to women, no more Kurotsuchi and her equally unappetising minions, a flying start for a clan that would be undisputedly his to lead, no looking over his shoulder for the fringe agents of the Central Civil Service.

It was more than tempting.

* * *

Sasuke was waiting in his office for Haku to return from visiting Izuna. Much longer and he would start worrying that something had gone wrong.

Including Kisame had been a risk but it was unthinkable to send Haku without him.

They had debated how to take advantage of Bettencourt threatening Izuna for over a day. Sasuke kept coming back to what Naruto had said. Izuna did not want to lead the present-day Uchiha; he hated almost everything that new Uchiha stood for. He wanted his Uchiha back; the one that had existed a thousand standards ago.

The massive bribe had been Neji's idea. Shikamaru was immediately in favour. Kakashi hated it but agreed it could work. Iruka and Naruto were willing to try anything short of murder that would get rid of Izuna permanently; sending him to the other side of known space would do.

It had been Sasuke's job to dress it up in a way that would make it more attractive.

Once they were home... Sasuke smiled, remembering how Tsuneo had charged across the docking bay, not to Naruto or to him but to Shikamaru. That night, putting the triplets to bed, Sasuke had sat on the edge of Tsuneo's bed.

"I told Ta-chan and Te-chan that you wouldn't let Centre take Shi-chan away," Tsu-chan had told him.

Sasuke had smoothed the bright blond hair and looked into those trusting blue eyes. There were problems that Papas could not solve but they would talk about that at another time. "You would miss him," he had said instead.

"He's magic," Tsuneo had confided. "He has lots of different worlds in his head."

It was a fair assessment of Shikamaru's abilities; Sasuke had been impressed by his son's insight.

"When I grow up, I am going to look after him," Tsuneo had added. "Like you look after To-chan."

Sasuke had smiled and kissed his son's forehead. "Sleep well, Tsu-chan. Sweet dreams."

Tsuneo had curled up around his plushie and shut his eyes. "Goodnight Papa."

Sasuke pulled his thoughts back to the matter in hand. Haku and Itachi had gone over the offer, using their knowledge of Izuna to tweak the detail. Then Sasuke had made the tape; it had taken three attempts before Neji had been satisfied.

Haku had insisted on taking the message himself.

There was a click and then Haku's voice. _"This is Haku. _

Sasuke stabbed the intercom button. "This is Sasuke. Haku-san, please will you join me in my office."

Haku was dressed for the household rather than for out and about. Sasuke told himself it had been fine; Itachi and Kisame had been with him.

Not that Haku was incapable of defending himself.

"Tea, Haku-san?" he asked, gesturing towards the comfortable chairs.

I am fine, Sasuke-sama," Haku assured him, choosing to bring a chair up to his desk instead.

"How did it go?"

"He did not give us a response, but he liked the offer," Haku replied. "He certainly was not offended by it. I was not there when he viewed either tape but judging from the fact he had been drinking whisky, I think Bettencourt-san's tape scared him." He considered. "He does not look as well cared for or as content as when he lived here."

"Did he give any indication of wanting to talk to me?"

"His precise words were, 'Please relay to Sasuke-sama that I am considering what he has proposed.' In my opinion, he finds the offer very attractive."

Sasuke nodded. It was as good a response as he could have hoped for.

* * *

Madara was considering his options. Ideally he would like to leave with a fanfare; Izuna Uchiha going out to the frontier of known space to found another great clan. However, going out with a fanfare meant dealing with Kurotsuchi.

There was no way he was taking the woman with him.

Kimimaro appeared in the doorway.

"Kurotsuchi-san is here, Uchiha-sama."

Madara sighed. Even thinking about extracting himself from the woman's clutches was enough to make her appear.

He wished he had the option of turning her away when she arrived without an appointment.

"Please show her in, Kimimaro-san."

She obviously knew about Haku's visit, he could tell from the way she was looking at him.

"Thank you, Kimimaro-san." He waited until Kimimaro had left and closed the door behind him. "How may I help you, Kurotsuchi-san?" he began, hoping to distract her by being unusually pleasant.

It worked; she smiled. He suppressed a shudder.

"We need a game changing move, Uchiha-sama," she told him.

They did and he had one; Sasuke Uchiha's offer.

"One of our people had come to me. He has a canine-specific virus that affects canine hybrids."

Madara froze. If he could get rid of the fox hybrids, he could challenge for the leadership. If Sasuke had lost his beloved and his hybrid sons, he might be grief-stricken enough to be an easy target.

On the other hand, Centre would definitely consider killing all the canine hybrid members of the crew as disrupting Shikamaru's family.

"How specific and how lethal?" he asked.

"It does not infect purebreds," Kurotsuchi assured him. "Ninety percent of the canine hybrids infected die including all of those with the level of canine gene expression displayed by the canine hybrids in Sasuke Uchiha's household. We have tested it." She smiled. "The results were most satisfactory."

Madara suspected it might not prove to be that simple. Merely a few moments' thought threw up possible problems. The first that came to mind was that the canine-human hybrids in Uchiha had high-quality nanobots.

"Sasuke Uchiha sent his representatives to you," Kurotsuchi stated.

He nodded, hoping that it was one of the guards who kept Kurotsuchi informed and not Kimimaro.

"If he wants to negotiate, you could introduce the virus into the Uchiha household. Doing that was a problem for us. If they suspected a canine-specific infection, they could close down the household and get the canine hybrids away on a ship."

"You intend to start an epidemic?" Madara checked.

"That is the plan but we will have to help it along. The density of canine hybrids is too low and unfortunately it has proved impossible to develop a strain that purebreds carry. We can manufacture virus that will be virulent for about one hundred minutes after release into the air. If we release it at enough different points that should be enough."

Madara nodded and then stood up, giving her no choice but to do likewise. "That is excellent work, Kurotsuchi-san," he told her. "I am impressed. As you say, timing is all. It is essential that we do not show our hand too early and miss the fox hybrids. I shall keep you closely informed as to when I can expect to be invited into the Uchiha household." He smiled. "I do wish I could ask you to stay longer, but I have another commitment."

Kurotsuchi's face moved in way that suggested that she did not know if she should be annoyed that he was hustling her out the door or happy that he had praised her. In the end, she settled on a vaguely pleased expression and obedience. "I understand, Uchiha-sama. Until our next meeting."

"Until our next meeting, Kurotsuchi-san."

Once she had gone, he settled at his desk. When he had woken that morning, Madara had still intended to declare himself clan leader and accuse Sasuke of being a usurper. There had been two major obstacles to success; Sasuke had more resources and he had Shikamaru. Madara had spent the last standard acquiring resources while waiting for Centre to take Shikamaru.

Bettencourt's message made it clear that Centre had decided to leave Shikamaru where he was. Worse, they had warned him away.

However, now there were other options; ones based on Sasuke's offer and Kurotsuchi's plan.

He needed to think. He pressed the button that activated the intercom to Kimimaro's office. "We are going out, Kimimaro-san."

This was his new favourite place; the lower viewing deck of Prime. His usual seat was available; if it had not been, a single look from Kimimaro would have made it so. He settled onto the upholstered bench and studied the view.

Others came here to admire the stars but he came to look at Tarrasade; his greatest achievement.

Not that anyone remembered it that way. History said that the Uchiha clan helped found Tarrasade, not that Madara Uchiha had designed it. There was no mention that the ambitious multistage plan had been his.

Could he let it go? Could he start again?

What did he do about Kurotsuchi?

Then, as he sat there, the solution occurred to him. Kurotsuchi had given him a way out. He could go public, saying that bioweapons were dishonourable. She and her followers would be hunted down and killed. Centre would be appeased. He would be a hero.

He could leave with his fanfare; a glorious expedition rather than a messy dispute or, worse, seeing Centralite fringe agents in every shadow.

It would be a triumph.

* * *

...


	90. Truce

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

* * *

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, superflaj, maliya, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, 'Guest', JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, Codydog, kaname-luvr, donalgraeme, when spells go wrong, melissen, LillyTigress, Laura-Jean95 and cynder81 for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

* * *

Readers' feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.

_Not one word of the story written this week, which is the first time since I posted the first chapter in April 2012. I am really struggling and all encouragement is greatly received._

* * *

**Leader**

**Part 10: Endgame**

**90: Truce**

* * *

Haru had hoped that Hikaru would not realise that he was taking his simulator but Ryuu was in charge of loading the heavy stuff and he had asked Hikaru to help him.

Hikaru scowled at the crate. "Doesn't that exceed your personal allowance?" he asked, consulting the lists on the tablet he was holding.

"It's classified under tools," Haru assured him. "Tayuya-san is aware and has signed off on it."

Hikaru gave him a look that Haru interpreted as 'Tool? Only you, everyone's favourite, could get away with that.'

Haru replied with one that meant 'Why would I bother? I have Ran.'

Ryuu sighed and pushed the hovercrate across the gangplank and though the large airlock onto the Maple. Haru followed.

"I wish the two of you would try to get on," Ryuu muttered as soon as they were well away from Hikaru.

Haru looked at him in surprise; Ryuu never made such comments.

"Issy says I should be more assertive," Ryuu explained. "She says that I should tell you that it makes me miserable when the two of you bicker."

Haru felt himself flush.

"I know he didn't have to comment about the simulator, because it was obvious it had been signed off," Ryuu continued. "On the other hand, you didn't have to give him such a smug look." He sighed again. "This mission is all about us getting on when none of the people who smooth stuff over are around."

It had not occurred to Haru to think about it that way. To him the mission was about further developing Skyburrow, surveying the desert planet and re-establishing contact with the toad hybrids. Ryuu was right though; there would be no queens, no parents and no Kiba-san. Even Yuki and Hoshi, the usual peacemakers, would be back in Tarrasade.

Ryuu was looking at him expectantly.

"I'll try," Haru managed and was rewarded with a warm smile.

Ryuu delivered the crate to the room that was serving as Haru's workspace for the duration of the trip. Haru thanked him and then set about connecting the simulator.

Now that they used both the Elm and the Maple, as well as moving between Tarrasade and Skyburrow, having a simulator at every location seemed wasteful. Instead Haru had designed a travelling crate that was also a booth and an installation platform. He had made one of the sides into a door, inserted an adaptor panel to make connections easy and modified the hover mechanism so it could used as an anchor. He had even put in some hooks for his clothes.

With five minutes it was ready to be tested. The booth was a little claustrophobic but Haru knew he would not notice once he was enclosed in the simulator.

"Sai?" he queried.

"Haru," Sai replied. "The simulator is working up to specification."

So much for running tests; Sai had already completed them.

Haru would miss him but it was right that Sai should stay with Su-chan. Shi-chan had set up a high speed data link so they would be in contact every day but the time lag between enquiry and response would gradually grow until, once Haru reached Skyburrow, it would be fifty-three minutes. It could not be shorter; they were limited by the speed of light and the processing speed of the data relays in the gates.

It was amazingly quick for such a long route but real time conversation would be impossible. Sai, with Shi-chan's help, had been investigating other types of correspondence. Haru had not been included in the discussion. Apparently it was to be a surprise.

Shi-chan's suggestions interpreted by Sai; Haru was not sure if he was looking forward to it or not.

* * *

Sasuke was spending as much time as possible with Naruto. Even though Naruto insisted he was fine about the older children leaving, Sasuke was not convinced. Whether he was or not, a few extra cuddles would not go amiss.

This morning he decided to drop by Naruto's office. He hesitated at the door. Did he use the announcer? Naruto always walked straight into his office but Sasuke had indicator lights to show if he was busy or not.

The door slid open. "Come in, teme," Naruto called.

He was at his desk, working through his HDL correspondence. "Don't mind me," Sasuke assured him. "I can wait until you want a break."

Naruto glanced up at him. His whiskers gave a disbelieving twitch.

"I'll be fine," Sasuke insisted. "Carry on."

He wandered about looking at the pictures. On one wall they were images of hybrids that the HDL were helping or had helped. On the other were headshots of family, which Naruto renewed regularly. Sasuke noticed a new image of Yasushi and Yoshimi that must have been taken five days before, when the rest of the family had gathered to see them off on the Ninken.

Yesterday it had been Haru, Kazuki, Hikaru and Ryuu. If Naruto was going to worry about anyone, it would be Haru.

A soft breeze on his face; Naruto was standing behind his right shoulder and blowing gently to attract his attention.

"You worry too much about Haru," Naruto whispered. "Haru will be fine."

Sasuke was on the edge of denying it before deciding that Naruto knew him better that he knew himself. "Who worries you?" he asked.

"I worry a little about each of them," Naruto confessed. "Perhaps Hikaru more than the others because he is the least settled and therefore the most restless. I think this will suit him. He is rightly proud of what he achieved in Skyburrow and being with Inari will be good for him."

Sasuke gaze went to the picture of Hikaru that Naruto had chosen. It showed both his desire to stand out and his practicality. His long hair was streaked with blue but the front was pulled back from his face to keep it out of his eyes. From his right earlobe hung a fabulous feathery concoction that had definitely never seen the inside of an Uchiha jewel box but behind the same ear was a pen.

"I think their biggest challenge will be feeding themselves and running their crew room," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke could hear the smile in his voice. He turned and smiled in return. "Tayuya is not known for her patience and they won't have Yuki to bail them out." Thinking about Yuki brought the other kits to mind. "I wish we could have let Keizo go with them."

Naruto's smile faded. "That was what we decided, teme. Two of the kits sworn to Uchiha, other than Kuuya, to be here in Tarrasade with you. Kei-chan and Ayame will be running the shop here. That's a challenge for them. When Yo-chan and Ya-chan are back we can reconsider."

"By then Izuna should be on his way to the other side of known space and we can stop worrying about it," Sasuke suggested.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "I shall not hold my breath. I cannot believe it will be that easy to get rid of him. Is the meeting still on? He hasn't postponed it or done anything else tricky?"

Izuna was coming to Uchiha Headquarters for a meeting the day after next. "No, but he did ask for formal negotiating conditions for the duration of the meeting. He even put the request in writing."

"What does that mean?"

"No challenges. Even if someone made one it would be invalid."

Naruto frowned. "What is that about?"

"Neji thinks he will want to talk without Kimimaro present. He probably hasn't told Kimimaro about the offer."

"You are not seeing him alone, teme," Naruto warned. "You can choose from me or Sumaru or Kakashi but one of us is going to be there."

He had been intending to see Izuna one-to-one. "I'll be fine, dobe," he tried.

Naruto shook his head. "Not happening, teme. This is the man who drugged Shi-chan. You have to stop thinking that he's honourable. He isn't. Not by our standards."

Sasuke sighed. Was history really all about who told the story rather than what had actually happened? It was a sobering thought.

Naruto pulled him close and nuzzled his hair.

* * *

Haru had resolved to do it. The Maple had been underway for more than a day, heading for one of the ungated holes. If he waited any longer it would become even more awkward. It was just a matter of finding Hikaru alone; it wasn't the kind of conversation you had in front of other people.

Then he noticed that Hikaru was on cooking duty with Ka-chan. Tayuya-san had said that swaps were fine, so Haru asked Kazuki for one.

Hikaru looked at him in surprise when he arrived instead of Ka-chan but chose not to comment so Haru didn't either.

"The simulator..." Haru began as they stood side by side slicing vegetables. That's how he was determined to refer to it; 'the simulator' rather than 'my simulator'.

Hikaru did not look at him. Perhaps his knife hit the chopping board with a little more force.

"...if you want to use it, that's fine."

There was no reply, just more chopping. Haru waited. He hadn't planned what to do if Hikaru didn't answer.

"No," Hikaru said finally. He scraped the peppers from the board into a bowl. "Thank you for offering," he added in a tone that implied that he was saying it to be polite rather than because he meant it.

There wasn't much else Haru could do. He couldn't ask about the simulated girlfriend (or boyfriend) because he was not meant to know about her (or him).

They finished the preparation and started cooking. Hikaru was cook because everyone, including Haru, knew that Haru was likely to spoil the food when his attention wandered. Haru fed the discarded pieces of vegetables into the recycler, put the chopping boards in the dish cleaner, wiped the counter and cleaned the knives. Then he went onto setting the table.

"How are you and Ran doing with your knife fighting lessons?" Hikaru asked.

Haru stiffened. Why was Hi-chan asking that? "Fine," he replied defensively.

"Have you asked Inari-san who will teach you while you are away from Iruka-san?"

He hadn't and he was sure that Ran hadn't either; Ran just wanted the lessons to go away. "No," he admitted.

"I was going to ask Inari-san to teach me. I could ask him to teach you and Ran too. I think Inari-san would understand best about how difficult it is for Ran to allow people to touch him."

Haru was stunned, not only by the offer but that Hikaru had thought about Ran. "Thank you," he managed.

Hikaru turned to him and actually smiled. "You are welcome."

The evemeal was good; Hikaru had stuck to some of Choza-san's simpler recipes. Everyone was there; Inari-san had said that it was more important for them to bond as a crew than have someone physically present in the control room. Those on watch, Akemi and Kamatari-san, had specialised interfaces fastened to their forearms.

Haru wondered who had decided the make-up of the crew; Inari-san or Papa. Maybe they had worked together on it. There was Kotetsu-san and Izumo-san, In-san and En-san, Tatsuji-san, Kono-san, Kamatari-san, Shizune-san, Misora, Akemi, Isaribi, Ryuka, the four of them, Ran and, of course, Inari-san and Tayuya-san.

The atmosphere was good. Kamatari-san was always fun and the banter between him, Kono-san and Tayuya-san was as slick as between the kits. After the meal, once the cleaning up was done, they had a sing-song. Tayuya-san played her flute, Ryuu drummed and Hikaru got out his biwa; Haru had not realised he still had it.

Hikaru also sang, which sounded amazing. Haru almost regretted not having singing lessons.

Afterwards, he and Ran went back to Ran's room. All the personal rooms on the Maple and the Elm had interconnecting doors, although they looked like wall panels when they were locked shut. It made setting up the crew rooms much easier, because some people needed two rooms connected and some three.

Thinking about it, Shi-chan, Su-chan and Neji-san now had five back in the crew room in Tarrasade.

Ran had unlocked the door between his and Haru's room, which was a relief because Haru was not sure what he would have done if he hadn't.

They snuggled together on Ran's bed. Haru wanted to talk about what had happened between him and Hikaru but he decided to ask Ran about his day first.

"Shizune-san is letting me and Isaribi do one of the twice-day gestator checks," Ran told him. "We're going to do them together until we get to Skyburrow and the gestators have been installed in the new nurseries."

Haru could see Kotetsu-san and Izumo-san with twin boys but he still hadn't quite got his head around En-san and In-san being parents. Not that he was alone in that; In-san was still pretty jumpy about it.

"Other than that, it was all the usual sorting things out stuff. Anything interesting happen to you?"

Haru described his conversation with Hi-chan.

"Maybe Ryuu spoke to Hikaru too," Ran suggested. "It would be good if the two of you could get on rather than merely coexisting."

Haru knew that was true. "And the knife lessons?"

Ran grimaced. "We can't say no, not when Hikaru is offering to share his one-to-one time with Inari-san." He sighed. "It will be fine. I will be honest about how I am feeling and Inari-san will make allowances."

Haru gave him a hug for being brave and Ran relaxed into it, which was nice.

Time to discover if Ran was in the mood for anything more than snuggling; Haru's fingers crept under the hem of Ran's shirt, seeking out his skin.

* * *

Sasuke and Neji were going over the details of the planned meeting with Izuna. Neji was scanning the letter Izuna had sent; the one asking for formal negotiating conditions. He was frowning. Given that his eyebrows were actually puckering, Sasuke knew that something major was amiss.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"The cadence of this language is very odd," Neji observed.

All Sasuke had noticed was that the letter was excessively wordy.

"Has Shika-san seen it?" Neji asked.

Sasuke activated the intercom. "This is Sasuke. Please could Shika-san come to my office as soon as is convenient."

There was no reply but it was less than a minute before the door announcer sounded. Neji handed the letter to Shikamaru as he entered.

"Coded message," Shikamaru confirmed. "You may want to take this down or record it. You ready?"

Sasuke nodded, pen and card ready.

"AHB planning atrocity. Need to meet secretly. Do not bring any hybrids. Bring passion flowers." Shikamaru's gaze went to the chronometer on his wrist. "There are station coordinates for a location in the Inner Residential Ring." He frowned. "It's one of those brothels that masquerades as residential apartments. It's today in less than a hundred minutes' time. He tells us which entrance not to use, so I'm guessing we can use any of the others."

They were both looking at him. Sasuke's mind went into overdrive. He turned to Neji. "Find Kakashi, send him here and find out if Sumaru is available. Don't use the intercom."

Neji nodded and left. Sasuke turned to Shikamaru. With so little time remaining, he did not have time to tell Naruto and then fight about going without him. "No telling Naruto. He's with the children for the afternoon. Hopefully I can be there and back before he realises anything is up."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to argue and then shut it again. "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

Thirty-five minutes later they were ready to leave. Sasuke checked his image in the mirror. As annoying as it had been to have Sakura and Haku pulling him this way and that, he had to admit that they had done a wonderful job. A purple-haired, blue-eyed, golden-skinned stranger was looking back at him. Even his posture and gait were different, thanks to adhesive strapping across his back and what felt like pebbles in the boots he was wearing.

At least they had not dressed him as a girl. Haku had suggested it but Sakura had insisted that he was too muscular and Kakashi had pointed out that the brothel was likely to only have male clients.

Neji, Kakashi and Sumaru had been subjected to similar, if less extensive, makeovers.

By the time they left, Shikamaru had created a whole identity for each of them. They would arrive at the Inner Residential Ring using the elevator. All the records, even the camera feeds, would agree that the elevator had come from Prime.

As they walked, cloaked and hooded, out of the household, Haku handed him a posy of passion flowers from Konan's garden.

It did not look like a brothel. It appeared to be a normal apartment, albeit belonging to someone who liked to entertain. What appeared to be a household servant greeted them and showed them into tastefully decorated receiving room. After a few minutes a formally dressed woman appeared.

"Are all of you guests?" she asked.

"Yes," Kakashi answered before Sasuke could decide what she meant.

"Please would you follow me," she requested.

They went through a corridor into another room that was distinctly more decadent.

"Please take seats." The woman gestured toward the couches and chairs. Once they had settled. "Are you looking for multiple experiences or a single, shared scenario?"

Sasuke's mind boggled. Then he remembered the flowers. "I was told that if I showed you these, you would know what I wanted."

She smiled. "I understand."

Sasuke wished he did. She left and they waited. After a while, just as he was getting restless, a person in a kimono entered and bowed respectfully.

He or she was so like Haku that Sasuke had to look twice to make sure it was not him.

"Wecome honoured gentlemen. I am Tokeisou. Please follow," the person said; Sasuke was almost sure he was male. So that was why Izuna had specified those particular flowers; the courtesan's name was Passion Flower in the old language.

"I always knew he wanted Haku," Kakashi muttered.

Sasuke took a moment to realise what Kakashi meant; if this was the courtesan Izuna visited, the resemblance could not be a coincidence.

They went through another corridor to a traditionally decorated room. Izuna was sitting on a zabuto. There was another positioned opposite, across a low table. Others were in a line at the side.

Sasuke took the place at the table. The others chose to stand rather than sit.

"It suits you," Izuna commented. "Very fetching. Would you like tea?"

"No." He could not bring himself to be ungracious to the beautifully dressed man who reminded him of Haku. Sasuke bowed in his direction. "I thank you for the offer."

Tokeisou flushed and bowed deeply.

"Leave us," Izuna ordered. His tone was unnecessarily sharp and Sasuke saw the courtesan flinch.

Once he had gone, Sasuke stared and Izuna stared back. Finally Izuna cracked.

"They have some type of bioweapon that they believe is specific to hybrids."

Sasuke's gut clenched.

"They are going to give me some tomorrow to release during the meeting. Even if there are no hybrids at the meeting, they believe it will stay active long enough for you to carry it back into the household. They also intend to release it all over the station." Izuna paused. "It is probably a false alarm, the active agent is probably ineffectual, but the intent is there."

Sasuke did not know what to say. All he could think of was racing back to Naruto and making sure that he and the kits were safe.

"I thought that you would appreciate me warning you in advance, so that you can take precautions," Izuna hinted.

He pulled himself together. "I do. Do you have a sample of the bioweapon in your possession?"

"No, they are delivering it to me tomorrow before the meeting. I cannot stop them releasing it. All I can do is ensure that you have a sample to analyse. If I do that, if I give the substance over to you rather than releasing it, I will not be able to go back to my apartment. I will expect you to shelter me as well as honouring your offer."

Sasuke was about to give his word but then he remembered what Naruto had said; Izuna was not honourable by new Uchiha standards. He could be trying to trick them into sending the kits away or putting them into stasis so that he could challenge. He had only asked for formal negotiating conditions for the actual meeting; there was no truce beyond that.

So Sasuke only repeated the commitment he had already made. "I will honour my offer to relocate you as described with the resources I have listed provided you swear not to act against my interests or the interests the clan."

"If you want the sample, you will have to agree to shelter me," Izuna pressed.

Sasuke could feel Naruto's eyes on him, even without his presence. He would not be panicked into a concession. If the bioweapon was real, he was confident that Rin could harvest a sample from the environment.

Izuna was stuck between him, the AHB and whatever Bettencourt had threatened. Sasuke knew that he was by far the best of those three options. The knowledge gave him an advantage and he was determined to use it.

He looked Izuna directly in the eyes. "If you want shelter, you will have to swear never to challenge me for the clan leadership."

* * *

...


	91. Precautions

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

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My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

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Thanks to mikako17, Guest (Ely), Squirrley, black55widow, Zach, WolfRain001, Laforet, Zach, angangang, Miroku Kensei, bookworm9407, Sunshine 2400, starneko, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, superflaj, maliya, Whispering-Softly, Alfawolf15, Just Some Guy, Rose, roro237, 'Guest', JustSomeGuy, Drago Imperiali, Codydog, kaname-luvr, when spells go wrong, LillyTigress, cynder81, Laura-Jean95, melissen and donalgraeme for leaving reviews.

Also thanks to silentnight, Brown Cornelia, Phoenixewolf, embagsho, Fluff175, darkdragonalucard and danalexkayarimad who left reviews for the version that was deleted by the site administrators.

Mega-thanks to melissen for re-posting a review for each reposted chapter.

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**Story warning: this story include****s male/male relationships. If this upsets or offends you, please do not read it.**

**This chapter has been slightly edited so that better conforms to the terms and conditions of this website.**

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Every review is treasured.

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**Leader**

**Part 10: Endgame**

**91: Precautions**

* * *

"If you want shelter, you will have to swear never to challenge me for the clan leadership."

Madara could not remember ever hating anyone more than he loathed Sasuke Uchiha at that moment. If his gaze could have bored a hole through Sasuke's skull it would have done so; his hands itched to close around his throat and squeeze.

So much for getting Sasuke into a situation where he would have to make his own decisions rather than referring to Neji or Shikamaru; he was doing irritatingly well on his own.

Sasuke was staring back at him. The blue contact lenses made him look like his children. Madara felt something inside him give way. Sasuke and his offspring could have his new Uchiha; Madara no longer wanted it. What he would build would be much more magnificent.

Once he had accepted that, it was easier. If he was honest with himself, any chance of becoming leader of new Uchiha had vanished when Bettencourt had sent him the tape. It was now about building a fabulous future; a true Uchiha. He took a deep breath.

"Provided you keep your offer to fund my venture, I shall not challenge you for the leadership of the clan you call new Uchiha." Having said it, he was determined to make the most of it. "I would like us to give a joint interview with the media tomorrow, during which we will go on public record about our new agreement. We may also wish to warn people about the AHB plot but I shall leave that decision to you and your advisors."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Very well." He got to his feet in one fluid movement. "Until tomorrow."

Madara chose not to stand. "Until tomorrow."

Then they were gone. Madara heard the outer door close and knew that Tokeisou would move to wait within earshot.

"Tea," he ordered.

Watching the familiar ceremony calmed him. Tokeisou performed it perfectly and, this time, instead of pretending it was Haku he imagined it being one of the geishas whose contracts he intended to buy.

Once he finished his tea he made the gesture that would trigger the familiar question.

"Is there anything I can do for you, milord?"

It was the middle of station night by the time he was ready to leave. Kimimaro looked uncharacteristically dishevelled, which perhaps was not surprising given the time he had been waiting. Madara decided not to comment. Kimimaro was not Sumaru; he did not have the resilience required for perfection.

How would Kimimaro react to him betraying the AHB? Would the oath he had sworn to Izuna hold him?

"Kimimaro-san," he began as they exited the elevator at Prime and walked towards the apartment.

"Uchiha-sama," Kimimaro responded.

Madara cringed inside to hear the title he had forgone. "Sometimes, Kimimaro-san, things are not as they seem. Sometimes it is wise to do something that appears unappealing in the short term to gain greater advantage over a longer time."

Kimimaro looked at him. "I understand, Uchiha-sama."

"Good. I expect you to keep that at the forefront of your mind, particularly when we go to Uchiha headquarters later this morning."

"Yes, Uchiha-sama," Kimimaro replied.

Madara considered reminding him of his oath but decided that was a step too far; questioning his loyalty might push him away.

"Get some rest, Kimimaro-san. I shall need you at your best," he said instead.

"I understand, Uchiha-sama."

* * *

Sasuke waited until they were clear of the apartment and then looked at the others.

"We should not go directly to the household," Kakashi pointed out. "We could already be covered with this anti-hybrid agent."

"Do we have a shuttle at one of the private docks?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi nodded. "Ready and waiting, in case we should have need of it."

"It isn't manned by a hybrid?" Sasuke checked.

"No, it is Gai and Terai."

Once they were in the shuttle, Kakashi went to raise Rin over a secure radio link and Sasuke turned to Neji.

"Was he telling the truth?"

Neji hesitated before answering. "At least in part. There were no lies I could detect but, as always, he was not telling us everything he knows."

Sasuke could not help scowling; he needed more than that.

"He believes that the AHB have a bioweapon," Neji clarified. "He believes it is directed at hybrids. He is uncertain about how effective it is. He believes that the AHB intend to release it. He believes that he will be given a bioweapon bomb to release in Uchiha headquarters tomorrow. He does intend to give you the weapon rather than releasing it."

It was more detail that Neji usually gave him.

"What do you intend to do, Sasuke-sama?" Neji asked.

Rin, of course, advised the most cautious of options. She wanted the four of them quarantined and all the hybrids scanned and placed in stasis.

Extended quarantine was not feasible, he had the meeting with Izuna the next morning, but he would stay away from the household until they had a better idea of what they were facing. As for the hybrids going into stasis; Sasuke could not see Naruto agreeing to that. They did not even know if the danger was real.

"You should order him and the other hybrids into stasis, Sasuke-sama," Kakashi volunteered. "At least until Rin has analysed the agent. Imagine how you would feel if one of them died. Also, if there is any possibility that this agent is already abroad, we should inform the Maple and the Ninken."

Sasuke's gut twisted. He tried to think past Naruto and the kits becoming sick. "Get me a private link to Naruto."

"We could organise a video link from the control room," Neji suggested.

"_Teme,"_ Naruto acknowledged. _"What is happening? Why are you in disguise?"_

Sasuke flinched at his tone, even thought it was mollified by the usual term of endearment. He wished he could turn back time and tell Naruto about the coded message before he had left the household. Now he had to go through all that before he could get to the point.

Naruto listened carefully; his eyes getting more and more stormy as Sasuke moved from how the meeting had come about to its contents.

"_So the AHB are releasing a hybrid-specific bioweapon across Tarrasade,"_ Naruto checked as he finished.

Sasuke had not thought of the bigger picture; he had only got as far as the crew of the Ninken and that was because Kakashi had mentioned them. Any prospect of getting Naruto to go into stasis vanished. He was patron of the HDL; if there was a crisis he was the person the hybrids would turn to. "We won't know anything for certain until tomorrow when we get the sample to analyse."

"_Sasuke, you know they will release the stuff across Tarrasade at the same time as Izuna is meant to release it in Uchiha headquarters. That gives us until tomorrow morning to do something."_

"Dobe, you getting poisoned or infected will not help. Let Rin put you somewhere safe."

Naruto's whiskers twitched. _"Safe? I hope you aren't suggesting stasis."_

Sasuke backpedalled. "Biomedical containment. Just until we know what it is. You will still be able to communicate with people via radio and video. Please, dobe."

Naruto looked at him. _"It would make sense," _he conceded. "_If I do it, Kuuya, Yuki and Keizo will follow my lead,"_ he added.

"All the hybrids," Sasuke emphasised.

"_I get it,"_ Naruto assured him. _"Has anyone told Shi-chan? What about station control? Maybe they can do something to contain it."_

"You talk to Shika. I'll be there soon, but I'll be going into quarantine in case this meeting was a way of getting the agent into the household."

Naruto nodded_. "Understood."_

Rin was not happy but she agreed that the hybrid members of the crew should be given a choice between stasis and biomedical containment.

Then Shikamaru joined in and everything accelerated. He pointed out that the fastest way of providing biomedical containment was a ship only for Naruto to refuse to get onto one.

After a short row Sasuke backed down. Naruto was right; the AHB would announce that he was running away and hybrids across Tarrasade might panic. Luckily, by the time they had settled the argument, Shikamaru had gone over the plans of the Uchiha compound and come up with another solution.

Whoever had designed the original household had considered the possibility of chemical or biological attack; if they opened one of the unused levels they could quickly convert it into apartments with isolated air systems.

Sasuke left Iruka and Haku organising that and convened a virtual meeting of key personnel to discuss how to proceed.

By station night they had made decisions and implemented them. Kakashi had spoken with Inari and with Captain Bull. Asuma and Itachi had gone in person to speak with Station Control. Moegi had left for Sublevel C with as much equipment and supplies as could be made available. Shikamaru was planning a mass evacuation of hybrids, should that prove necessary. Rin had worked out how to contain whatever Izuna would bring the next day so that it could be transported to the infirmary and analysed.

The scans had been completed. None of the hybrid members of the crew showed symptoms. However, as Rin was quick to point out, they did not know what they were looking for.

Sasuke stared at the narrow bed. The apartment where he, Kakashi, Neji and Sumaru were being quarantined had two bedrooms. This was the smaller. If it had not had a shower and a head, Sasuke would have suspected it was a closet with a bed crammed into it.

If he remembered rightly, this whole level had been occupied by lower-ranked Uchiha who had served the clan leader. Just being this close to the ruling family had been considered a privilege. The tiny room with its narrow bed had probably been a reward for outstanding service.

He was proud that they no longer lived that way.

He sighed. He had not been away from Naruto at night for a long time. It reminded him of when Naruto had been tanked, which brought back memories of the bombing and the horrors that had followed.

There was a beep from the basket that someone, probably Haku, had left on the shelf at the side. He went to investigate and found a radio, mike and earpiece.

He could tell it was Naruto by his breathing even before he spoke. _"Teme."_

"Dobe."

"_How are you doing?"_

Sasuke considered. "Do you know who put the triplets to bed?"

"_Hoshi. She's going to sleep in the side room in case they are upset."_

"Good."

"_It's probably all a false alarm,"_ Naruto reminded him.

Sasuke sat on the bed. "By the Lady, I hope so."

"_You going to have a shower?"_

"I thought I might leave it for the morning," Sasuke admitted.

"_No, you should wash away the dye and the makeup."_

Sasuke sighed; Naruto was right.

"_The mike and earpiece are waterproof,"_ Naruto hinted.

The shower stall was a tight fit but the water pressure was good, the spray was hot and someone had put a small bottle of his favourite body wash in the basket.

"_Wash your hair first, teme,"_ Naruto ordered. _"Get the dye out."_

Sasuke did as he was told. Purple rivulets ran down his chest and belly.

"_Kept washing it until the water runs clear. Rub your scalp like I would if I were there."_

"It's not the same when I do it myself," Sasuke complained as he added the third lot of cleanser. At this rate he would empty the entire bottle. "Any dye that's going to come out is out," he announced as he rinsed the suds out.

"_You will look lovely with a purple tint,"_ Naruto teased. _"Has all the makeup gone?"_

There was no mirror, so he could not check. He rubbed his cheek with the ball of his thumb. "Yes."

"_Is there any cleanser left?"_

Sasuke checked the bottle. "Enough."

"_Is there a sponge?"_

"No."

"_You'll have to use your hands,"_ Naruto purred. _"Start with your nipples. I expect they are really dirty."_

Sasuke's nipples crinkled at the sound of Naruto's voice, before he even touched them.

"_Be gentle. Just a fingertip. One on each. Small circles working inwards."_

It was ridiculously arousing.

"_Do you think they are clean now?"_ Naruto asked.

"Yes."

"_Let your fingertips drift down..."_

Sasuke did not hear what came next because suddenly the water changed from pleasantly hot to freezing cold. He tried to jump out of the way and only succeeded in hitting his head on the showerhead and dislodging his earpiece.

It tumbled down his body. He made a vain attempt to catch it, jabbing himself in the back with the faucet as he did so. He caught a glimpse of it swirling towards the drain and dived down to grab it. Unfortunately the manoeuvre exposed his butt and the high pressure spray managed a direct hit on his scrotum.

Finally he managed to turn off the water, wrap himself in a towel and put the earpiece back in.

"_Teme?"_ Naruto sounded worried.

"I am fine," Sasuke replied, looking at the mess. In his quest to retrieve the earpiece he had pushed the door of the shower open and there was water everywhere. "A small mishap with the shower."

"_The way you shrieked, it sounded like someone was trying to kill you."_

"I did not shriek," Sasuke objected. He searched for the blowers, only to find there weren't any. He would have mop up the best he could using the towel.

"_Sounded like a shriek to me,"_ Naruto insisted.

"I did not..."

He was interrupted by knocking on the bedroom door, followed by Sumaru's voice. "Are you all right, Sasuke-sama?"

"I am fine," Sasuke called in return.

"_So __the__ not-shriek was pretty loud then,"_ Naruto pointed out.

"Dobe," Sasuke warned.

Finally he was sitting on the bed, wrapped in a robe. The sodden towel was hanging in the shower and, hopefully, the floor would have dried by the morning. The small mirror on the wall had confirmed that his hair still had a faint purple tint but he was past caring.

Naruto could not stop laughing.

"_So you managed to bash your head, jab yourself in the ribs, freeze your balls and flood half the bedroom."_

"I wish I hadn't told you," Sasuke complained.

Naruto managed a sultry tone for a few moments. _"I wish I was there to kiss it all better, especially those poor abused balls."_ Unfortunately he ruined it by bursting into laughter again.

"Give me a break, dobe."

"_Poor Sasuke_. _I love you."_

Sasuke had to admit that hearing Naruto laugh made him feel good, "Love you too. I think I had better go to bed."

"_Is your hair dry? If you go to sleep with it damp you know what it'll look like tomorrow."_

"Yes, it's dry," Sasuke lied.

Next morning the small mirror confirmed Naruto's fears. As well as being faintly purple, his hair was fluffy and sticking out in all directions. No amount of combing improved it.

He decided to give up, dressed in his uniform and joined the others, Kakashi's small smile and the way Sumaru's eyes tracked his head confirmed it was bad.

"The plan is to go directly to headquarters, Sasuke-sama," Neji reminded him.

Sasuke sighed. "Can you do anything with it?"

"I do have some spray conditioner that is useful for such emergencies," Neji admitted.

It had been decided that only Sumaru would be present for the meeting, with Kakashi and Neji in the adjacent room and Shikamaru linked via video and radio. When Sasuke reached the meeting room there was an earpiece and throat mike.

"_I hope that this one fits better than the other,"_ Shikamaru commented as soon as he put the earpiece in.

Sasuke bit back a retort, telling himself that Naruto would have enjoyed telling the tale. "To business, Shika-san," he suggested.

"_Yes, Sasuke-sama. Do you want me to fill you in with respect to the various contingency plans?"_

"That would be useful, Shika-san."

By the time Izuna was due, Sasuke was wondering if Shikamaru had slept at all. He had things ready to roll for every eventuality they had considered, from decontamination to evacuation to hospital ships.

"_And, __in case__ the worst comes to the worst, __I am working on how to provide two thousand places in stasis__,"_ Shikamaru concluded. _"Na-chan won't argue so much about going into stasis if we can offer that solution to every other hybrid in Tarrasade. __I have ordered as many pods as I can and I'm looking for ships that transport people in stasis. I've already spoken to Garner and he can lend us Pein's old ship again, which will be a start."_

Sasuke's gut twisted. He hoped it would not come to that. If they were resorting to stasis it would mean that there was a disease but no cure. "Good work, Shika-san."

A different voice in his ear._ "Sasuke-sama?"_

It was Neji. "Yes, Neji-san?"

"_I suggest you go to the window. Izuna-sama is on his way and you may like to see who he has with him."_

Sasuke went to the window. There was no missing Izuna's party as they crossed the plaza. As well as Izuna and Kimimaro, there were four guards, a cameraman and a woman. "Who is the reporter?" Sasuke asked.

"_Yukie Fujikaze,"_ Neji replied. _"Shika has just confirmed that it is one of her regular cameramen and he __has security__ clearance. Izuna-sama did mention a joint interview and we did agree."_

"You had better get down to the lobby and have a word with her," Sasuke told him. "Make sure she understands that it is not to go out live and that we want the usual editorial control."

"_On my way, Sasuke-sama,"_ Neji confirmed.

"And make sure that the four guards get no further than the waiting room in the lobby," Sasuke added. "It's bad enough that we have to let Kimimaro in."

* * *

Madara was not surprised that Neji was waiting in the lobby.

"Izuna-sama, Yukie-san," he greeted them. "Your guards can wait in here." He gestured towards the waiting room.

Kimimaro bristled but Madara ignored it. He gestured that the guards should obey and then tried to eavesdrop on the quiet words Neji was exchanging with Yukie Fujikaze. It included the words 'usual conditions', which was encouraging. Even though he had gone out of his way to obtain their favourite reporter, Madara had not been sure that they would agree to her attending the meeting.

Neji escorted them up one level, to the most prestigious of the meeting rooms. Other than Sumaru, Sasuke was alone. Madara heard Kimimaro's breathing hitch. He did not know if it was disappointment that the fox hybrid was not present or because of his feud with Sumaru.

Sasuke's hair was still faintly purple and, irritatingly, it suited him.

"Yukie-san," Sasuke began. "What an unexpected pleasure. Izuna-sama, it is good of you to come. It is about time we settled our differences."

Madara belated realised that Sasuke was already performing for the camera. He pulled himself together. "Sasuke-sama," he acknowledged.

He signalled to Kimimaro that he should take up a position at the side of the room, mirroring Sumaru's. Hopefully he would try to outdo Sumaru and therefore stand completely still and utterly silent for the duration of the meeting. Whether he did or not, Madara needed to concentrate on Sasuke.

He had expected Sasuke to be disconcerted by the presence of the reporter and cameraman. On the contrary, he had launched a fully-fledged charm offensive before they had taken their places and within seconds he had seized the initiative.

"I confess there has been tension between us," Sasuke was saying. "It can be difficult to find common ground across a millennium. The events of the last thousand standards inform my decisions and the directions in which I intend to lead Uchiha. For Izuna-sama, those events never happened. He sees Uchiha in a different light. It has taken us time, but we have come up with a solution." He paused and looked across, offering Madara the opportunity to speak.

He took it because the alternative was to allow Sasuke to continue speaking for both of them. "Yes, we have decided that the solution is two clans. Sasuke-sama will stay here, with his new version of Uchiha that I find so alien. I shall relocate and continue the process I began a millennium ago; founding a clan in a newly discovered system."

The reporter's eyes lit up. "How exciting, Izuna-sama."

"Exactly," Madara replied. "I shall be looking for the brightest and the best young people to accompany me. We will build my vision of Uchiha."

"And will all those young people be purebred, Izuna-sama?" she asked.

On balance, Madara was glad she had asked the question. "Yes. In my time there was a lot less technology, including genetic engineering. We had fewer computers, no implants and no hybrids. I wish to return to that. I want my clan to live in a more traditional way and I know that there are many others who also yearn for that opportunity. I hope that some of them will choose to come with me."

"Have you made any decisions about how the venture will be funded?"

Madara decided to allow Sasuke to answer.

"I wanted Izuna-sama to have at least what he had when he was so tragically lost," Sasuke replied. "We set Tarrasade aside, because our home is beyond price, and considered the rest. We are giving Izuna-sama one-third of Uchiha's current wealth."

The woman's eyes widened. "That is very generous, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke frowned slightly. "No, Yukie-san, it is fair."

She flushed a little at his criticism but quickly pulled herself together. "Do you have any details you can share with us, Izuna-sama?"

"It would be unwise to broadcast too many details," Madara answered. "However I can confirm that we have a specific system and the resources to develop it, including the necessary gates. The system is completely undeveloped, so it is a tremendous opportunity."

"Does the system have planets, Izuna-sama?"

He tried a small smile. "It would not be wise to broadcast more details at this time."

There were a few more questions, all mundane, and then Sasuke indicated that he wished to call it a day and the reporter told the cameraman to stop recording.

"Neji-san will take you to an editing suite, Yukie-san, and help you come up with a piece for Izuna-sama and me to approve."

"Is Shikamaru-san not about, Sasuke-sama?" she asked.

"Not today, although he will be linked into the editing suite so you may be able to speak to him."

They left, leaving him and Sasuke facing each other.

"Do you have it?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes." He reached into his pocket and brought out the canister, being careful to avoid touching the safety catch.

In response, Sasuke went to the side of the room, opened a cupboard and brought out a container. "In here, Izuna-sama."

He placed the canister in the container and Sasuke closed the lid.

"Good," he acknowledged. "Once Rin-san has analysed the contents, we can discuss what to do with the information. Meanwhile, Kakashi-san will escort you and Kimimaro-san down to the lobby, where you will dismiss your guards." He paused, giving Madara the opportunity to argue.

Madara chose not to query it. The guards were probably more loyal to Kurotsuchi than to him. He would replace them.

"He will then escort you and Kimimaro-san to the apartment Haku-san has prepared for you. It is located on this side of the security divide between these headquarters and the household. Until you can recruit staff, my people will see to your needs."

It was a reasonable compromise. Even if they had been willing to give him back his old apartment, Kimimaro would never be allowed into the household.

His gaze went to where Kimimaro was standing. He seemed unconcerned.

Sasuke left with Sumaru and the container as Kakashi entered. Kakashi escorted them down to the lobby, where he dismissed the guards. They did not react well but a threatening move from Kimimaro sent them on their way.

The apartment was not as nice as the one in the household but, as always, Haku had done an amazing job in the time available.

Madara sank down into a comfortable chair while Kimimaro made him tea.

It was time to find out what Kimimaro knew.

"Do you know what was in the canister, Kimimaro-san?"

"Yes, Uchiha-sama."

"It had better be Izuna-sama for now, Kimimaro-san."

Kimimaro looked at him and Madara wished he was better at reading the expression in those incredible green eyes. "I will do so when others are present, Uchiha-sama. For now."

It was a promising start. "I did not use the canister in the way Kurotsuchi-san intended," Madara pointed out.

"No," Kimimaro admitted. "Will I be coming with you to the new system, Uchiha-sama?"

"Of course, Kimimaro-san."

"And there will be no hybrids?"

"Not one."

"Can we leave Kurotsuchi-san behind?"

"I confess I was planning to do so, Kimimaro-san."

Kimimaro smiled. "Good. May I suggest something, Uchiha-sama?"

Madara gestured that he should proceed.

"I do not think the women in your clan should be like Kurotsuchi-san. They should be more..." Kimimaro considered. "...amenable."

"I agree entirely, Kimimaro-san." He needed to find out what Kimimaro knew. "Kurotsuchi-san was expecting me to activate the canister at the meeting."

Kimimaro gave one of his enigmatic smiles. "She may have been expecting it, Uchiha-sama, but she was not relying on it."

* * *

...


End file.
